Take 2 - Special Edition, March 2000
National
Council on the Aging/ |
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True |
False |
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1. |
Most long-term care is provided in a nursing home. |
o |
o |
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2. |
Nearly 40 percent of the long-term care population is under the age of 65. |
o |
o |
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3. |
People 55 to 64 pay more than $1,500 per year, on average, for a long-term care policy. |
o |
o |
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4. |
Medicare is not the primary funding source for most older persons' long-term care costs. |
o |
o |
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5. |
The average length of stay in a nursing home is more than four years. |
o |
o |
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6. |
Disability insurance and long-term care insurance cover the same things. |
o |
o |
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7. |
On average, a one-year stay in a nursing home costs about $25,000. |
o |
o |
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8. |
People have to spend all or almost all of their assets to get Medicaid benefits. |
o |
o |
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9. |
The average lifetime chance of needing long-term care for an individual 65 years or older is more than 40 percent. |
o |
o |
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10. |
Nursing home expenses for Alzheimer's Disease patients are covered by Medicare. |
o |
o |
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John Hancock Life Insurance
Company, Boston, MA 02117
GLTC-ABC-QUIZ2-1/99
Answers |
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1. |
False. Most
long-term care is not provided in a nursing home. 80 percent of older
adults who receive long-term care, receive that care in their own homes or
community settings. 1 source |
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2. |
True. 40
percent of people receiving long-term care are between the ages of 18 and
64. 2 source |
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3. |
False. The
average annual premium paid by people age 55 to 64 was $919. 3 source |
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4. |
True. Medicare
paid for only 13% of the elderly's nursing home spending in 1995.
Medicare's spending on both nursing home and home health care for the
elderly amount to approximately 25% of total long-term care spending in
1995. 4 source |
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5. |
False. The
average length of stay in a nursing home is less than four years. Of those
admitted to nursing homes, 50% stay less than six months. Only one in ten
will stay three or more years. 5 source |
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6. |
False.
Disability Insurance will not cover most long-term care. 6 source |
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7. |
False. On
average, a one-year stay in a nursing home costs about $41,000. This
figure can be as high as $80,000 in some regions. 7 source |
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8. |
True. People
have to spend all or almost all of their assets to get Medicaid benefits.
8 source |
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9. |
True. It is
estimated that approximately 49% of elderly turning age 65 will be
admitted to a nursing home at some point in their lives and that
approximately 72% will use home care services. 9 source |
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10. |
False. Medicare provides few benefits for the long-term care services most persons with Alzheimer's Disease require. Full reimbursement for skilled nursing home care is limited to 100 days, after which time the patient must contribute to the costs. Also, Medicare pays nothing if he or she requires only custodial care. 10 source | |
Sources |
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1. |
Congressional Research Service, Issue Brief: "Long-term Care
for the Elderly," November 2, 1998, p.2. back |
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2. |
General Accounting Office, Long-Term Care: Current Issues and
` Future Directions, April 1995. back |
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3. |
LifePlans, Inc. analysis of 2,246 linked surveys and policy
design information, 1994, reported in Health Insurance Association of
America/LifePlans (1995) Who buys Long-Term Care Insurance?, p.27. back |
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4. |
Congressional Research Service, Issue Brief: "Long-term Care
for the Elderly," November 2, 1998, p.4 back |
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5. |
Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services/HCFA, 1994. back |
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6. |
Health Insurance Association of America, Guide to Disability
Income Insurance, 1995, p.1. back |
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7. |
U.S. General Accounting Office, Testimony Before the Special
Committee on Aging, U.S. Senate, March 9, 1998. back |
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8. |
U.S. General Accounting Office, Long Term Care: Other
Countries Tighten Budgets While Seeking Better Access, August, 1994,
GAO/HEHS-94-154. back |
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9. |
Lewin-VHI, in the Health Insurance Association of America,
Long-Term Care: Knowing the Risk, Paying the Price, 1997,
p.12. back |
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10. |
American Association of Retired Persons, Coping & Caring:
Living with Alzheimer's Disease, 1993, p. 16. back |
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| John Hancock Life Insurance
Comapny Boston, MA 022117 GLTC-ABC-QUIZANS 1/99 |
||