Implications of Rebalancing Home-Based Care for Family Caregivers to Older Adults

Abstract

Over the last several decades, Medicaid has been “rebalancing” services from institutions to the community, increasing support of home- and community-based services (HCBS). These services could potentially substitute for care typically provided by family members, replacing or reducing care from kin. Leveraging one of the most recent Medicaid rebalancing programs, the Balancing Incentive Program (BIP), and using data from the 2008-2016 Health and Retirement Study on 953 Medicaid beneficiaries ages 65 and over with at least one functional limitation, we examined the relationship between exposure to BIP and family and professional caregiving. BIP exposure was not associated with receipt of care or total hours of care. It was, however, associated with more hours of professional care and fewer hours of family care from non-spouse kin. These findings suggest that recent Medicaid rebalancing programs, while intended to meet the desires of older adults, could have implications for their families.