Related Experiment Videos
Catastrophic acute and long-term care costs: risks faced by disabled elderly persons
The Gerontologist
|June 1, 1993
Summary
Disabled elderly individuals face significant financial burdens from healthcare. Including long-term care costs increases the proportion of people with catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses from 20% to 30%.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Gerontology
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Elderly individuals with disabilities often require extensive medical support.
- Assessing the financial impact of healthcare on this demographic is crucial for policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically analyze the extent of catastrophic healthcare costs for disabled elderly persons.
- To differentiate cost burdens from acute versus long-term care services.
Main Methods:
- Empirical analysis of healthcare costs.
- Inclusion of both acute and long-term care expenditures.
- Calculation of out-of-pocket costs as a percentage of income.
Main Results:
- When only acute care costs are considered, 20% of disabled elderly persons incur costs exceeding 20% of their income.
- When long-term care costs are included, this proportion rises to 30%.
Conclusions:
- Long-term care significantly exacerbates catastrophic healthcare costs for disabled elderly individuals.
- Policies addressing healthcare affordability for the elderly must account for long-term care expenses.