A proposed Medicaid change could be a threat to long-term care for millions of seniors. House Speaker Paul Ryan says he still plans to turn Medicaid over to the states in block grants with fewer guidelines. Carol Regan with Community Catalyst points out that Medicaid funds two-thirds of all nursing-home and long-term care. She says making it into a block-grant program would force states to cut services – just when more are needed.

“As the population ages, particularly the over-80, with a per-capita cap or a block grant, there’s no way you can adapt to the need of the growing aging population,” she says.

Medicaid covers healthcare for low-income Americans, but the majority of funding goes to provide long-term care for seven million seniors. Speaker Ryan's latest proposal would have cut Medicaid by $880-billion.