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Home care for the disabled elderly: predictors and expected costs
T A Coughlin1, T D McBride, M Perozek
1Health Policy Center, Urban Institute, Washington, DC 20037.
Health Services Research
|October 1, 1992
Summary
Publicly funded home care for disabled seniors may cost $1.8 to $2.7 billion more than expected. This is due to anticipated behavioral responses, like caregiver substitution, impacting program finances.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Public Policy
- Gerontology
Background:
- Growing interest in publicly funded home care for the disabled elderly.
- Need to address policy issues before program adoption and financing.
- Lack of cost-benefit analysis considering behavioral responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the cost implications of anticipated behavioral responses in a public home care program.
- To inform policy decisions regarding the financing of home care services.
- To simulate the financial impact of caregiver substitution.
Main Methods:
- Utilized simulation techniques to model cost implications.
- Employed data from the 1982 National Long-Term Care Survey.
- Conducted a variety of cost simulations.
Main Results:
- Anticipated behavioral responses are projected to increase program costs by $1.8 to $2.7 billion (1990 dollars).
- Caregiver substitution emerged as a significant factor influencing cost projections.
- Simulation results highlight the financial sensitivity to behavioral changes.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral responses significantly impact the financial feasibility of public home care programs.
- Policy development must account for these behavioral economic factors.
- Further research is needed to refine cost estimates and policy strategies.