Thinking about health: Caregiving costs are not just for the elderly

Is the U.S. ready for a discussion about paying for caregiving, an increasingly vexing and costly problem for a growing number of Americans?

The answer may be “yes.” It has become obvious that long-term care insurance is not the answer to paying for nursing home and other kinds of care for the elderly. Sales for this product have been declining, the result of sky-high premiums, rate increases, and the difficulty of qualifying for a policy if you’re sick.

But the elderly are not the only Americans needing care. At the other end of the age spectrum, paying for childcare is becoming har...