* Massachusetts - Long Term Care Insurance A Must?

Ah, that wacky state of Massachusetts. First it requires all its residents to get health insurance, and now Senator Richard Moore wants to do same for long term care insurance! Can a stroke of a pen solve the looming LTC problem? Can a state really make it illegal to not have insurance?

According to HealthBlawg, they’re trying, but there’s one tiny problem - the Average Joe (and Josephine) can’t afford the high price of health insurance. What makes Senator Moore think that mandatory Long Term Care insurance will be any different?

It won’t be. Speaking as one of those millions of Americans who can no longer afford any insurance, I can guarantee you that mandatory LTCi will not work. It’s a pipe dream of state officials who see a massive wave of aging Baby Boomers coming their way. They’re concerned for their state coffers and they should be. However, you can’t get blood out of turnips, folks. So stop trying. You’re just freaking people out.

How can any state government think that every resident can afford pay for insurance? That’s insane. There are millions of Americans who make just enough to keep a roof over their heads, yet not enough to cover health care, let alone LTC insurance. There must be another answer.

I do have a few suggestions about what should be made mandatory:

1) Create a Trust similar to Social Security. It should be funded according to income levels, not age. Anyone below a certain income level would be exempt. Corporations should not be exempt, since legally they are considered “persons”. I bet Halliburton alone could fund a Long Term Care Trust with the profit it’s made so far off the Iraqi war. They over-charged the U.S. government for years, which came out of taxpayers pockets, so why shouldn’t they give the money back? Just a thought…

2) The entire amount of Long Term Care insurance premiums should be tax deductible. As it stands now, the amount of premium that can be claimed as a deduction depends upon a person’s age. Why? Make the entire yearly LTC insurance premium deductible, no matter if it’s tax-qualified or non-tax-qualified and no matter what age a person is, then private policies will be more affordable. Affordability means more people will own insurance coverage.

3) Make sure that our entire health care system puts an emphasis on preventative medicine, instead of simply treating symptoms and “managing” health issues, like adult diabetes, with prescription drugs. Protect our access to herbs, vitamins, etc. Make it mandatory that all insurance - public or private - pay for alternative and preventative therapies. This will keep our population healthier longer, therefore reducing the need for premature long term care.

4) Pass a federal law that makes it mandatory for all newly constructed buildings, as well as all buildings that are rented, to be fully wheelchair accessible. This includes wide hallways and doorways and truly accessible bathrooms. You say I’m going too far? I’m not. If, as I believe, Americans will soon need some form of public long term care funding, then it makes sense to make sure that long term care costs are minimized. Long Term Care facilities are very expensive. It’s sensible to have people “age in place”, yet retrofitting homes is costly and disruptive. Plus, you can only get financial assistance for retrofitting if you own a home. What about the millions of renters? It’s incredibly difficult to find houses or apartments that are accessible. As a country, we need to think ahead and build accordingly. Let’s make sure that home care is a viable option for as many people as possible. This will save our country billions of dollars in the long run.

See how simple? Now, if we just can get everyone to agree we’ll be on our way!

Technorati Tags: Long Term Care insurance, LTCi, Baby Boomers, Social Security, premiums, deduction, coverage, diabetes, prescription drugs, long term care, home care