Factors important in the purchase of partnership long-term care insurance.

OBJECTIVE

To understand the factors important in the purchase of long-term care insurance through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Partnership for Long-Term Care.

DATA SOURCES

Information on the Partnership programs, telephone surveys, data on Partnership purchasers, and random sample frames.

STUDY DESIGN

Logistic regression analysis is used to examine characteristics associated with the purchase of a Partnership insurance policy. Independent variables are health status, demographic and financial characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes.

DATA COLLECTION

A telephone survey of Partnership purchasers and a random sample of the population in each Partnership state were conducted. Survey questions included health status, opinions about long-term care and long-term care insurance, financial planning, demographic characteristics, and income and assets.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Important in the purchase of a Partnership policy were variables associated with education and knowledge about long-term care. Other important factors include attitudes and health status. Partnership purchase is associated with higher income and asset levels up to a point, with the effect plateauing and decreasing at the highest income and asset levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Improved education and knowledge are important in increasing long-term care insurance purchase. Attitudes about having a caregiver, and about the government's role in paying for long-term care as well as the potential purchaser's willingness to consider nursing home care affect policy purchase. Also associated with Partnership policy purchase are better health and middle income and asset levels.