Alzheimer's Disease & Related Dementias

Despite the high costs for long-term services and supports (LTSS), the current financing system inadequately protects people from the financial devastation of long-term disabling conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke. Private long-term care (LTC) insurance coverage is low and Medicare does not cover LTSS.

Long-term services and supports (LTSS) are expensive. The average private pay cost of a private room nursing home stay in 2014 was about $88,000 a year. Although this cost is insurable through private long-term care (LTC) insurance, coverage is low.

Briefing for ASPE Long-Term Care Financing Colloquium Melissa Favreault Washington, DC

Informal caregivers, who are caregivers not paid for their assistance, are generally family members or friends of individuals in need of long-term services and supports.

Disclaimer and AcknowledgmentsThis project was funded by the Administration for Community Living under contract no. HHSP23320095651WC. The statements contained in this report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Administration for Community Living.

This Research Brief, authored by Allison Carbonaro and Helen Lamont.

This revised Research Brief, authored by Melissa Favreault (Urban Institute) and Judith Dey (Department of Health and Human Services), presents information about the risk of needing care and associated costs to provide content for policymakers and others considering long-term care financing proposals. 

This Research Brief, authored by John Drabek and William Marton, estimates the number of older Americans with a disability based on a widely-used definition established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and other recently available data.

This Research Brief was authored by Joshua M. Wiener, Galina Khatutsky, Nga Thach, Angela M. Greene and Benjamin Allaire (RTI International); Derek Brown (Washington University); and Helen Lamont, William Marton and Samuel Shipley (Department of Health and Human Services).