Households squeezed by the co꧋sts of caring for elderly family members could get some relief under a policy proposed by Vice Pre🌠sident Kamala Harris.

Harris on Tuesday called for Medicare to cover in-home health care services. The proposal could potentially offer financial help to the elderly and those in the “sandwich generation” who must care for their own children and their aging parents. Harris made the proposal during an appearance on ABC’s The View talk show.

Medicare, the government🔯’s health care program for the elderly, currently only offers limited coverage for in-home care services. The escalating cost of care, whether at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or by🙈 in-home aides, has strained finances for growing numbers of people as the Baby Boom generation ages into retirement.

In 2021, long-term care cost the U.S. $467.4 billion, with individuals paying 13.6% out of pocket. The rest was paid for by various federal programs and private insurance, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

“There are so many people in our country who are right in the middle,” Harris said. “They’re taking care of their kids, and they’re taking care of their age and parents, and it’s just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work. We’re finding that so many are then having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress.”

Harris offer♎ed few details of how the program would work but did 🅷say it would be paid for by the money the government saves from having Medicare negotiate prices for more drugs with pharmaceutical companies.

The government negotiated drug prices for 10 drugs for the first time this year under a law signed by President Joe Biden. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates it would have saved $6 billion on drugs if the new prices were in effect this year instead of in 2026, when they’ll take effect. 

The program was the latest in a series of policy proposals from Harris that are aimed at tackling some of the most burdensome costs faced by lower- and middle-income households including child care, housing, and groceries.