AHCA/NCAL Joins Letter to HHS on RAISE Family Caregivers Act Implementation

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), along with 73 other national organizations, recently sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar regarding the enactment of the bipartisan Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (P.L. 115-119). The organizations that signed onto the letter urged immediate and effective implementation of this law to help better recognize and support our country’s family caregivers.  AHCA/NCAL supported this legislation on the Hill, and when it was signed into law by the U.S. President earlier this year. The RAISE Family Caregivers Act requires the HHS Secretary to develop a strategy to support family caregivers. 

According to AARP, about 40 million family caregivers provide about $470 billion annually in unpaid care to their loved ones. About 3.7 million family caregivers provide care to a child under age 18 because of a medical, behavioral, or other condition or disability, and 6.5 million family caregivers assist both adults and children.