Hillary Clinton proposing tax credit for caregivers

[sufrommich]

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is proposing a new tax credit for middle-class families providing care for aging parents or grandparents on Sunday at a town hall meeting in Clinton, Iowa.

According to an aide, Clinton will call for the creation of a credit for up to $6,000 in expenses to offset the cost to taxpayers caring for elderly family members. Her proposal is modeled on a bill introduced earlier this year by Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

"Hillary Clinton knows that as baby boomers age, more and more families will need to provide care for or will need care from loved ones," reads a fact sheet on Clinton's plan shared by the aide.

The credit is the newest addition to set of tax relief measures that Clinton has introduced as she seeks the Democratic nomination for president. As part of her plan to expand and build on the Affordable Care Act, Clinton has already proposed a $5,000 tax credit for families with excessive out of pocket costs for health care.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-proposing-tax-credit-for-caregivers/

[jkbRN]

1. Caring for the elderly family members

Costs much more than 6k. My boyfriends grandfather has Alzheimers and the cost for him to be taken care of at home by my boyfriend is 5k a month. Healthcare should be a right for all and not based on classifications. My boyfriend gave up his job to do this--so it's kinda a slap in the face.

As a nurse, this really bothers me. That is not enough, at all.

Ps, he has been taking care of his grandpa for 5 years.

[tularetom]

2. If we had single payer universal health care, band aids like this would be unnecessary

This is nothing more than a cheap attempt to pander without actually addressing the problem.

A $5,000 tax credit is chump change as anyone who has ever had to provide care to an older loved one can attest.

[Owl]

3. Exactly.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. How would universal health care address this?

Caregivers aren't paying for their elderly parents health care. They are providing custodial care free of charge.

[DURHAM D]

7. I am waiting for the answer too.

I think a lot of people think that medicare pays for everything once you are over 65. And, they think people taking care of their parents in the home somehow get money from someone.

There are several threads on DU about Hillary's proposal and there is a staggering amount of ignorance being displayed.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Medicare does not provide custodial care .

Medicare doesn't cover custodial care when it's the only kind of care you need.



Custodial care is nonmedical assistance -- either at home or in a nursing or assisted-living facility -- with the activities of daily life (such as bathing, eating, dressing, using the toilet) for someone who's unable to fully perform those activities without help.

And the older and sicker the person gets the more custodial care the person needs...

[DURHAM D]

9. Unfortunately, I am very aware of that.

Both of my parents aged out in Alzheimer's units. The cost was paid out of their personal funds as it is not considered anything more than lodging.

iows - 24 care for someone who doesn't know who they are, where they are, what century it is, can't dress, bath, or eat without assistance is not considered to be receiving medical care.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. I thank God every day my mom never required institutionalization.

I was a caregiver to my mom for twelve years and she literally died in my arms at ninety years old. Toward the end of her life she was getting mini strokes on a regular basis and developed gangrene in her remaining foot. She became a below the knee amputee at seventy eight years old... I thought the stress of the last six months of her life would kill me.


Caregivers do yeoman's work and save the government money...

Caregiving and universal health care are separate issues.

[DURHAM D]

11. Yes, care giving and universal health care are not related issues.

As I said elsewhere... the level ignorance of those putting these two issues together is staggering.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. I wonder if the conflating of the two are deliberate.

EOM

[DURHAM D]

13. No.

It is lack of knowledge.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. It seems intelligent people could distinguish between custodial and medical care.

[DURHAM D]

15. Unless you have actually had to do it I

don't think anyone understands what is involved.

[DURHAM D]

4. Looks like some posters would rather

have no tax credit at all. Go figure.

I also recall that in 2008 Hillary suggested that people who must quit their job early (usually women) to care for a parent should also be able to receive medicare early. Have you seen anything thing on that proposal this go-round?

[mopinko]

5. there needs to be a social security credit for caregivers.

there are plenty of proposals out there for a credit, 5 years is what most say, tho that doesnt really cover it.
women who spend a lot of time out of the work force caring taking care of kids or disabled family members get royally screwed both in the workforce, where they take low paying but flexible jobs, and by ss.
i never worried much about it because i am eligible as a spouse. only recently found out that i cannot get that spousal credit, now that the marriage is over, until HE is eligible at 62. i am 6 years older than him, so until i am 68, i can only get my own tiny benefits.

i will be fine as i will have a generous maintenance from my long marriage. but many other women would be flat out screwed.