Poll: People Aware of Long-Term Care Needs but Are Not Prepared
Many Californians are highly aware of their future need for long-term care, but few are preparing financially for it, according to a poll commissioned by the California Partnership for Long-Term Care, HealthyCal reports.
The California Partnership for Long-Term Care is an arm of the state Department of Health Care Services.
The Field Poll Long-Term Care Survey polled 950 Californians in June. It previously was conducted in 1994, 1996, 2001 and 2005.
Key Findings
Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said they were aware that standard health insurance generally does not cover long-term care.
However, the poll found that only 10% of respondents have purchased long-term care insurance and that more than half had not thought about the matter.
The survey also found that:
- 59% of poll respondents said long-term care policies cost too much;
- About 33% said they expect family assets and income to finance their needs for long-term care;
- Nearly 30% were doubtful insurers would follow through with coverage when needed; and
- 6% believed state programs will cover their long-term care needs, a decline of nearly 400% since the 1994 poll.
Some of the poll findings were not very different than attitudes toward long-term care insurance as reported in the 1994 poll. For example, the 1994 poll found about 66% of people had not thought about long-term care while 60% said long-term care policies were too expensive.
Conclusions
Brenda Bufford, director of the partnership, said that an entire generation's long-term stability is at risk because of a lack of preparation for future long-term care services.
She said, "The disconnect between a basic understanding of long-term care realities and taking action to protect against the potentially crippling cost of long-term care is alarming" (Sample, HealthyCal, 9/20).
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