National Family Caregivers Month: Exploring the caregiver experience and impact
Michelle Jernigan, Executive Director of Long-term Services and Supports for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee
On November 1, 2024, we hosted a live webcast featuring Patrice Heinz, COO for the National Alliance for Caregiving, Maria Mann, who works as a professional caregiver for UnitedHealthcare’s National Advisory Board member Jennifer Kucera and Simone Mitchell who is the mother and family caregiver for National Advisory Board member Edward Mitchell. The discussion centered around insights into the importance of caregiving and how Medicaid can be enhanced to provide better support for caregivers.
The unpaid care provided by caregivers in the U.S. is estimated to be worth $600 billion annually. Provision of Medicaid assistance for caregivers is important given that caregivers help Medicaid enrollees prevent or delay hospital stays.
In this webcast, Patrice, Maria and Simone discussed the impact that caregivers have on those they care for, as well as changes in policy, society and the health care industry that are needed to improve support for caregivers.
The full video can be viewed below.
