Long-term care insurance gets boost from federal workers

Although across-the-board interest in long-term care insurance policies has been low, the federal plan is the largest one in the nation -; claiming 297,000 enrollees.

Politico Pro: Fed Workers' Insurance May Offer Lessons
In September, the Office of Personnel Management announced that it had added 45,000 people to its long-term care insurance rolls -; a 20 percent jump after a three-month enrollment period. It's the largest long-term care plan in the country, with 297,000 enrollees -; all government employees or their families. The surge is notable because long-term care insurance has attracted so few new customers in recent years, even though an estimated 15 million people will need long-term services by 2020. Private LTC insurance is expensive, people don't like to dwell on why they may eventually need it, and many mistakenly believe that Medicare will pick up the tab (Norman, 11/2).

Meanwhile, The Lund Report spotlights the in-home care needed by a 90-year-old political activist.

The Lund Report: 90-Year-Old Political Activist Benefits from In-Home Care
[Ninety-year old Marge] Lunan, whose mobility is limited due to hip problems and other long-term medical issues, lives in an apartment in a retirement community in northeast Portland. ... The staff where she lives helps with medications, and she receives visits from a nurse practitioner at least once a month – more frequently if she's having major problems. ... House calls may become routine for patients like Lunan. The Affordable Care Act includes a provision to coordinate chronic care for 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries suffering from multiple high-cost chronic conditions (McCurdy, 10/31).