Long-term care governance and financing. Policy Brief 3

Governance and financing are key pillars to ensure equitable, well-coordinated, and quality long-term care (LTC) through clear legal frameworks, integrated systems, and adequate public funding. Governance refers to the establishment of strategic policy frameworks that are linked with effective oversight, partnership building, regulation, well-designed approaches, and mechanisms for accountability. In the context of LTC, governance involves coordination among multiple sectors, ministries, and levels of government, making such collaboration essential. Governance elements include legal and regulatory frameworks; standards and guidelines; mechanisms of LTC integration and coordination of all levels and relevant sectors. The sustainability of LTC relies on establishing a strong and well-defined financing system, along with clear criteria for identifying the population entitled to LTC services to ensure no one is left behind. Adequate public financing is a cornerstone of effective and equitable LTC provision, enabling people to access the care they need while being protected from financial hardship. Sustained public funding also depends on strong political commitment and broad societal recognition of the value of investing in LTC relative to other public priorities. Furthermore, transparent and accessible data on total and disaggregated LTC expenditures, by source of funding and by type of service, are essential to inform policy decisions and promote accountability across the health and social care sectors. This brief is aimed at highlighting the key aspects involved in LTC governance and financing, in line with PAHO’s Policy on LTC (CD 61/8). 

This publication is part of a series produced in collaboration with other organizations aimed at featuring rapid information on key aspects of long-term care.