The Financial Hardship Faced by Older Americans Needing Long-Term Services and Supports.

Issue: In addition to medical care, individuals with functional or cognitive impairment often require long-term services and supports (LTSS), which Medicare does not cover. Little is known about the additional out-of-pocket expenses that individuals and their families incur to meet these needs. Goal: To analyze medical and LTSS spending among older Medicare beneficiaries, particularly the costs of assistive devices and personal care and the ways those costs are met. Methods: Descriptive analyses of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), 2015. Key Findings and Conclusions: Beneficiaries with high LTSS needs have higher Medicare and out-of-pocket spending than those without such needs and are more likely to report that medical care makes up part of their credit card debt. Those with high LTSS needs are also more likely to report trouble paying for food, rent, utilities, medical care, and prescription drugs. Many older Medicare beneficiaries using LTSS are vulnerable to incurring substantial costs. Without an affordable, sustainable financing solution, Medicare beneficiaries with LTSS needs will continue to be at greater risk of delaying necessary care, being placed in a nursing home prematurely, and having to "spend down" into the Medicaid program.