Policymakers face an imperative to identify solutions to the impending growth of long-term care needs and costs in America. Encouraging consumers to take personal responsibility for organizing and financing their own long-term care is one of the approaches being promoted. An increasingly prominent vehicle for doing so is long-term care insurance. Another more specific option is the expansion of a public-private model called the Long-Term Care Partnership.

The Long-Term Care Partnership Expansion project, provided 10 states – Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia – with extensive technical assistance, as well as funding up to $50,000, to participate in this initiative focused on helping states develop Partnership programs. An additional eight states – Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – also received technical assistance in developing and implementing Partnership programs.

The Long-Term Care Partnership model offers consumers, private insurers, and Medicaid agencies a win-win-win insurance arrangement by guaranteeing coverage and financial protection for beneficiaries, business for insurers, and budget protection for Medicaid. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 allows more states to develop Partnership programs, in which states work with private insurers to create affordable benefit options that protect both consumers and state Medicaid programs. Under the Partnership model, increased numbers of moderate-income consumers have access to affordable, high-quality long-term care insurance. If additional LTC coverage (beyond what the policies provide) is needed, special Medicaid eligibility rules apply that allow for coverage of ongoing care.


Additional Resources

Under this initiative, CHCS collaborated with the US Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) in providing technical assistance to other states in addition to CHCS grantees. Resources can be found at the LTC Partnership Program Technical Assistance website, operated by Thomson Healthcare under a contract with DHHS.