The government hoped that putting a cap on social care costs would prompt insurance companies to devise policies covering social care expenses.

Where the assets are worth less than 14,000, the local authority meets most care expenses.

Economic damages include financial losses such as lost wages (sometimes called lost earning capacity), medical expenses and life care expenses.

Registries target certain conditions because medical expenses are unevenly distributed: most health care expenses are spent treating patients with a few chronic conditions.

There was also an option for states to recover other routine medical care expenses.