A program, begun by the federal government in 1986, in which comprehensive long-term care programs are being conducted and studied as to their cost effectiveness. Initial reports are that such programs reduce the acute care hospital care required for their participants.
A form of capitation administered in the U.S. by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in which frail older adults receive adult day care, outpatient or in-home medical care, and social services. The goal of the program is to foster independent living by the elderly, thus decreasing institutionalization.