Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Surrogates for presidential hopefuls John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D) spelled out their respective nominees’ views on the future of long-term care in the United States at the third annual Long-Term Care Symposium in Washington this week.

Healthcare policy advisers Jay Khosla (McCain) and Debra Whitman (Obama) both said their candidates view long-term care reform as a vital part of addressing critical issues facing the nation’s healthcare system. Policy experts from the libertarian CATO Institute, the conservative Heritage Foundation, the centrist group Third Way and the liberal Center for American Progress also held a panel discussion on long-term care and healthcare reform.

Americans view long-term care as a significant issue, according to a poll from Genworth Financial, Inc., which sponsored the event. A total of 78% of voters believe the presidential candidates should put long-term care near the top of their healthcare platforms, and 83% say candidates’ positions on long-term care will affect their vote.