Today, the world's population is aging at a very rapid rate, and the United States is no exception to this demographic change. According to the US Census Bureau, older adults will represent 21% of the American population in 2050 (Older Americans, 2012). While living longer may not seem like a bad sign, living longer doesn't necessarily mean living healthier. Today's older adults need health and long-term services more than any generation before them (Older Americans, 2012). Due to the growing need for elder care, millions of families are faced with crucial decisions about how to provide care for their parents. Additionally, declining birth rates may cause people to have less care and family support as they age. A government-funded long-term care insurance program is needed to be able to provide needed care to seniors. Medicare is the federal program that provides health coverage to people age 65 and older (Green, 2003). Although many assume that Medicare provides long-term care, these benefits are very limited and are not efficient enough to meet much-needed senior care services. For example, Medicare programs do not help pay for personal care services such as eating, dressing, or using the bathroom, even though these “activities of daily living” are the most needed services for most older adults (Green, 2003). These care services can be provided to seniors by the long-term care insurance program. According to a national survey of people age 55 and older, only 36% believe they need long-term care insurance (Carter, 2008). However, it is estimated that at least 60% of people over the age of 65 will require some long-term care services at... middle of paper... These services can be critical to improving the health of many citizens and keeping the increase in healthcare costs is under control. Preventative screening and counseling on topics such as weight loss, treatment of depression, and alcohol use can help detect many diseases in their early stages, when they are treatable, and reduce long-term health care costs (America's Health Insurance Plans, 2007 ). Currently, voters may not be keen on accepting tax increases to fund the long-term care social insurance program. Additionally, due to costs, private long-term care insurance is only able to serve a small portion of the aging population. However, the government-funded long-term care insurance program can relieve pressure on family caregivers, improve the quality of life for some seniors, and create a framework to address the nation's severe demographic challenges..