“Most Americans want health insurance companies and Medicare to pay for long-term care: poll,” by Amy Novotney,McKnight’s Senior Living

Quote:

“Compared with 2018, fewer Americans now think individuals and families should be responsible for paying for their aging loved ones’ care. Instead, more believe that health insurance companies and Medicare should take responsibility for the costs. That’s according to a new study from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The study, which included interviews with almost 1,900 adults conducted between Aug. 27 and Sept. 14, found that 59% of respondents (compared with 50% in 2018) now think health insurance companies should have a large responsibility in paying for the costs of ongoing living assistance. Approximately 56% (compared with 45% in 2018) say they think Medicare should be responsible for long-term care costs.”

 

LTC Comment:    The only thing surprising about this finding is that anyone is left who thinks people should be responsible for their own long-term care. Government has covered so much of the catastrophic cost of LTC for so long, it has anesthetized the public to long-term care risk and cost resulting in the mess we’re in now. People don’t worry about LTC until they need it; then they slide easily onto Medicaid; and have to take whatever the welfare program will cover, mostly underfunded nursing home care.