A shortage of affordable long-term medical care insurance and the growing number of older Americans who need it has put the issue in the political limelight, according to an activist who will describe relevant legislation this week.
Helen Heyrman, vice president of the Illinois Coalition on Aging, will give a talk and present a video on ”Current Legislation on Long Term Care”
Saturday at a meeting of the Chicago/North Shore chapter of the Older Women`s League.
One in four elderly people will need long-term care and probably nursing- home care, according to federal statistics cited by Heyrman, who is also Illinois chairwoman of the Long Term Care Campaign, a national advocacy organization based in Washington.
Heyrman said polls conducted by the national Long Term Care Campaign in 1988 found that 8 in 10 people had some experience of long-term care needs, either within their families or with close friends.
The financial burden is enormous, she said. More than half the single senior citizens entering nursing homes spend down to the poverty line within 13 weeks, according to another survey.
At least three proposals under consideration in Congress now address long-term care, Heyrman said. The proposals call for federal assistance and long-term care insurance reform. Senate leaders have indicated to the Long Term Care Campaign that more proposals will be introduced early this year.
The Illinois chapter of the Long Term Care Campaign, a national organization, held two hearings last year with Sen. Paul Simon and U.S. Rep. Martin Russo, both of whom have begun working on proposals to address long-term health care needs, Heyrman said.
Heyrman, who is 71, described her personal difficulties getting long-term care insurance. She is currently in good health but not insured for long-term health care.
When she served on former Gov. Thompson`s Long Term Care Insurance Task Force, Heyrman met frequently with officials from the insurance industry.
”I said to them, `You know how old I am. I will reveal my modest assets and you tell me what long-term insurance I should take out,` ” Heyrman said. ”They all shook their heads and said, `There`s nothing out there for you. It`s just too expensive.”`
The average cost of long term health insurance is $1,255, according to a 1990 study by the Families United for Senior Action Foundation. The cost more than triples at age 79, according to the group.
Heyrman will speak at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave., Room 2403, Evanston. The meeting is free.
