The CRS report said that about 14 million Americans currently need long-term care services and support. Image: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com
A report for Congress shows that the need for long-term care continues to increase, while costs can vary greatly depending on location.
The report from the Congressional Budget Office comes shortly after the Office of Personnel Management announced often-steep premium increases effective in January for most of those enrolled in the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program—and a year after OPM imposed a two-year suspension on new enrollments while it reviews that program’s current and projected finances.
The CRS report said that about 14 million Americans currently need long-term care services and support—assistance with activities of daily living such as preparing meals or keeping up a home—and “as the population ages, the demand for LTSS is expected to increase.”
“While the need for, use of, and costs associated with LTSS vary across individuals over their lifespan, the probability of needing LTSS increases with age. It is estimated that more than half (56%) of Americans who survive to age 65 will develop a disability at some point later in life that is serious enough to need LTSS,” it said.
In addition, “advances in medical care and supportive care are enabling younger persons with disabilities to live longer lives, requiring the delivery of services and supports for longer periods of time,” it said.
It said that assuming care is provided for 44 hours per week, the median annual cost for homemaker services was about $59,500 in 2021, while the median annual cost of home health aide services was $61,800; for adult day health centers $20,300. For a one-bedroom, single occupancy unit in an assisted living facility it was $54,000; and for nursing home care, $94,900 for a semi-private room and $108,400 for a private room.
The report adds that although those are the median figures—the point where half are above and half below—there is a range of costs among states. Median daily rates for home health aide services ranged from $122 to $227, for adult day health centers ranged between $35 and $156, for an assisted living facility unit from $99 to $229; and for a private nursing home room from $195 to $1,036.
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