DESK REVIEWS | 03.02.02.01. Are there private long-term care insurance products available? If so, what proportion of the population purchases them? Are private insurance markets regulated?

DESK REVIEW | 03.02.02.01. Are there private long-term care insurance products available? If so, what proportion of the population purchases them? Are private insurance markets regulated?

Yes, there are private healthcare insurance companies that provide health-related LTC (ANS, 2016). In addition, private companies have started building residential villages for older people to live, to stay for a period of time or to spend a day. In these villages, older people receive social and healthcare assistance as required. However, such private services are expensive and only those who can afford it have access to it (an example of such a private programme can be seen here).

References:

ANS. (2016). ANS propõe novo modelo de assistência a idosos na saúde privada. Agência Brasil. https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2016-05/ans-propoem-novo-modelo-na-assistencia-ao-idoso-na-saude-suplementar

There is no private LTC insurance product available in Hong Kong.

To our knowledge, there are no specific private long-term care based insurance schemes in the country as of May 2020.

To date (February 2020), there has been no private long-term care insurance.

The two leading private insurance companies in Jamaica report that they do not have specific long-term care products and that they do not cover residential care costs such as nursing homes or institutional care.

Access to private health insurance for older persons is limited (Maina, 2017) due to financial constraints. Although the proportion of people purchasing private long-term care insurance in Kenya is currently not documented, insurance companies provide inpatient and outpatient services depending on the ability to pay. For example, the Afya Imara Seniors insurance that provides health benefits for individuals between 65 and 80 years charge premium rates ranging between Kshs.57,755 to Kshs.113,565 per person for inpatient services and between Kshs.45,244 to Kshs.61,566 per person for outpatient services (UAP OldMutual, 2020). Further information on how private insurance markets are regulated in general (not specific to LTC) is provided in the overall health system under health system financing.

References:

Maina, L. (2017). How Kenya can ensure adequate health care for its older people. The Conversation, 25 January. https://theconversation.com/how-kenya-can-ensure-adequate-health-care-for-its-older-people-70163

UAP OldMutual. (2020). What you get with Afya Imara Seniors. https://www.uapoldmutual.com/h/health-insurance/solution/afya-imara-seniors

While some private insurance companies have tried to introduce long-term care insurance policies (importing mainly US insurance schemes), these have not been popular as the market is restricted only to those with the highest income levels and who already would be able to afford 24-hour care through, for example, live-in carers.

No (Claire et al., 2012).

References:

Claire Dale, M., St. John, S., Hanna, J. (2012). New Zealand’s long-term care arrangements, and a cross-country comparison. The University of Auckland Business School.

Medical insurance schemes in general do not support long-term care in South Africa; however, there are a few restricted products that are available to a select minority that, with a strong motivation to access this benefit, can access partial (50%) insurance for frail care (see Du Preez, 2015 for more detail).

References:

Du Preez, L. (2015). Frail care: What you should know. Personal Finance. Available from: https://geratecza.com/2018/07/30/frail-care-what-you-should-know-laura-du-preez/