Germany’s Long-Term Care System: Lessons for U.S. States

Policymakers around the world are working to reform long-term care (LTC) systems, given rapidly aging populations. In Germany, a robust LTC system continues to adapt to meet the needs of the country’s older adult population, despite financial and normative challenges. In the absence of comprehensive change at the federal level, U.S. states are considering state-level LTC reforms. Through a case comparison between Massachusetts and Germany featuring results from a unique qualitative dataset of key informant interviews from Germany, I provide lessons to potentially inform development of the Massachusetts system in terms of financing, service delivery, and regulatory reforms.