Kamala Harris has announced a proposal to expand Medicare to cover home health care for seniors

Vice President Kamala Harris is proposing a plan to provide federal funding to cover home care costs for older Americans, with the goal of supporting the "sandwich generation"—adults who are simultaneously raising children and caring for aging parents.

During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, Harris shared her personal experience of caring for her mother during her final days, highlighting the challenges many families face in finding affordable home care for their elderly loved ones.

If elected in November, Harris pledged to expand Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors, to include coverage for long-term care services such as in-home aides. These aides, she explained, could assist seniors with everyday tasks like preparing meals or helping them dress, emphasizing that it’s “about dignity for that individual. It’s about independence for that individual.”

Though her proposal is new and comes just a month before Election Day, the issue itself is one that the Biden administration has long been working on.

In an effort to address inflation's impact, the White House previously included increased federal spending on both child care and elder care in its Build Back Better plan, a legislative initiative that stalled in Congress. Even after Build Back Better fell apart, the administration continued advocating for more spending on what it calls the “care economy.” Harris has carried this cause forward since replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee.