Convenors- Johanna Fischer and Heinz Rothgang, University of Bremen, Germany
Simone Leiber, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

In the last decades, many countries globally have introduced and reformed public policies for long-term care (LTC). Resulting LTC systems differ not only regarding their underlying principles and institutional arrangements, but also concerning their generosity, both at the macro- and individual level. For instance, the inclusiveness – that is who receives under which conditions LTC benefits – can be determined by multiple eligibility criteria such as age, income, and level of care needs. Furthermore, the scope of benefits available in a given LTC scheme crucially determines which type and how much support care recipients (and care givers) can expect. Consequently, assessing the generosity of LTC policies is highly relevant in that it constitutes one important factor shaping the experience and quality of care (giving). Furthermore, by diving into the analysis of entitlement and eligibility criteria as well as benefits provides insights in how care is concretely shaped by political decisions and administrative processes and which transitions can be observed.

The thematic panel aims to bring together research on the generosity of LTC systems worldwide, including aspects of coverage, inclusiveness, and scope of benefits. We invite both conceptual and empirical papers addressing one of the three sets of questions outlined below. Firstly, how can generosity be assessed and measured, specifically across countries? In particular, which possibilities are there to compare needs assessments cross-nationally? We especially invite contributions exploring the usability of model cases or vignette studies in this respect. Secondly, how do different LTC systems compare empirically in terms of their inclusiveness and scope of benefits? Can we observe trade-offs between these two dimensions? How do different types of LTC systems compare in terms of generosity? Thirdly, we invite contributions which investigate how aspects of generosity are addressed politically when designing and reforming LTC systems. Which factors shape the type and extent of generosity of LTC policies? How important are different kinds of crisis contexts or crisis perceptions as drivers or constraints for LTC generosity?