122. Is there a Care Worker Win-Win? Guest, Paul Osterman.

Frank and I welcome labor economist Paul Osterman, Professor of Human Resources and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His most recent book is “Who Will Care For Us: Long Term Care and the Long Term Workforce,” which is the basis for our discussion. He argues that the expansion of the role of direct care workers “will save the system money, both by obtaining better health outcomes—thereby reducing visits to emergency rooms, hospitals, and nursing homes—and by shifting some tasks to lower-paid occupations.” Our discussion covers the demographics of care workers, scope of practice issues, the role of Medicare and Medicaid, possible technological innovations, and quality regulation.