ABC and the Fellowship of Brethren Homes collaborated on developing an Uncompensated Care Report, which has become a strategic imperative for ABC. Uncompensated care is unreimbursed care that Brethren-affiliated retirement communities provide to residents who are no longer able to pay their expenses.

According to a 2003 survey, Brethren Homes accrue $14 million annually in uncompensated care expenses. Usually the problem of uncompensated care results from inadequate Medicaid reimbursement from the government. Often reimbursement does not begin to cover the daily costs of care for residents who are on Medicaid. The problem is exacerbated by the families of residents who, without realizing the end result, help loved ones “spend down” their finances so that there will be a legacy for the family. Those residents are thereby left with little or no funds to draw upon for the duration of their lives. At the same time, the retirement center is left to care for these individuals without receiving compensation.

When the Fellowship of Brethren Homes began to raise the issue of uncompensated care, we invited individuals, congregations and districts to engage in the issue by considering how God has called us to be careful, diligent stewards of the resources God has provided. We encouraged the church to consider the larger moral issues around uncompensated care and asked individuals to plan for all phases of life, including the very real likelihood of needing care as we age.

The Fellowship continues to find innovative ways to meet the challenge of providing quality care for the elderly in the midst of these difficult financial concerns. A study booklet titled “The Burden of Uncompensated Care in Brethren Retirement Centers and the Church” provides individuals and congregations with questions to consider and suggestions for how to plan for their own and their loved ones care needs as older adults. A printer-friendly PDF file of the brochure can be downloaded here.

Additional resources on this topic were created for the 2005 Health Promotion Sunday packet. To view these materials, click here.

Today, the Fellowship of Brethren Homes and the Association of Brethren Caregivers continue to work at the issue of uncompensated care by offering the Peace Church Long-Term Care Insurance Program available to everyone connected with the Church of the Brethren. Long-term care insurance is one way for individuals to plan adequately for their future needs, either for care in their home or in a retirement facility.