Long-term
Florida advocacy manager. “While there are some bright spots in Florida’s long-term care record, it’s clear Florida is falling further behind other states.”
Even people who tried to protect themselves by buying private long-term care insurance have been hit with sharp premium increases of 50 percent or more in some cases, The Palm Beach Post reported this past year.
“They are forcing people who probably can’t afford this increase to give it up when they now need it more than ever,” said Bernard Haut of Boynton Beach.
Florida wasn’t at the bottom in every category in the Long-Term Services and Support State Scorecard. For example, it ranked 21st on ensuring transitions between hospitals and long-term care in the home or in nursing homes.
But overall Florida has lost ground since ranking as the seventh-worst state in a 2014 scorecard, AARP said.
Medicaid is the largest public payer of long-term care services, the report noted, but Florida ranks 49th in Medicaid spending per beneficiary, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The states and U.S. government share financing and control over various Medicaid programs.
“State officials have great flexibility regarding Medicaid policies in the current environment,” the report said, noting this determines the types of services offered and the settings in which they are provided. “They establish the eligibility standards for Medicaid coverage. Their decisions can directly affect access to home- and community-based services and choice of services and providers.”
More than 10 million people nationwide have tried to protect themselves with long-term care insurance from private companies,