Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Lakewood, has introduced a bill that would allow adults in need of day care to be covered by Medicare.
The program would cover seniors, people with disabilities and family caregivers.
"Adult day care is a family friendly option for seniors who require rehabilitation and other assistance with daily life tasks, but don't require 24-hour care," Sanchez said.
The "Medicare Adult Day Care Services Act" would use the federal insurance program for seniors to pay adult day care providers.
"This not only helps the patient but the patient's family, who most likely has another job in addition to being a full-time caregiver," Sanchez said.
The estimated cost of adding the benefit was not immediately available Friday morning.
Caregivers, according to Sanchez, are primarily women from families with lower-than-average incomes.
As they care for infirm adults, they lose an average of $659,139 in wages, pension benefits and Social Security benefits over a lifetime, according to Sanchez.
