Many people in New Jersey rely on Medicaid to pay for their long-term care needs. However, not everyone is optimistic that government benefits will be available in the future. Pew Research polled 2,524 people regarding who should be paying for long-term care 30 years from now and who they think will actually be paying. The results indicate that, while many think the government should shoulder the bill, they do not anticipate this happening any time soon.
Of those polled, 55 percent reported that the government should be primarily responsible for paying for Americans’ long-term care needs. In contrast, 28 percent of those polled reported that a person should be responsible for paying for their own long-term care needs and 14 percent of those polled reported that one’s family should be the one to shoulder these costs.
However, of those polled, 36 percent reported that, in actuality, it is likely that Americans will be paying for long-term care on their own 30 years from now. Of those polled, 25 percent reported that they believed that families will be shouldering the costs of their loved one’s long-term care and only 28 percent of those polled believed the government will primarily be paying for Americans’ long-term care needs.
It remains to be seen how Medicaid and other governmental benefits will change in the future. However, it is important that people understand that there may come a day when they can no longer care for themselves. There are long-term care options, such as a special needs trust, that may be of use to some. Other elder law options aimed at helping senior citizens afford the assisted living care or medical care they need may be available as well. Long-term care planning is important, so your future needs are met.
