Maryland
The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that Maryland’s population was 5,832,000 in 2012. Of these residents, 52% were females and 48% were males. Adults aged 19 to 64 formed 62% of the population, while those aged 65 to 74 accounted for another 8%. Seniors 75 years of age and above comprised 5% of the state’s citizens.
According to a 2013 report by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, two in three among the state’s senior citizens were affected by hypertension, or high blood pressure, in 2011. Even one-third of Maryland’s younger and working adults faced this chronic illness. Individuals with hypertension may appear healthy as the disease usually lacks signs or symptoms, but can be detected through blood pressure reading.
Obesity and a mostly-sedentary lifestyle result in greater chances of having hypertension. Smoking can heighten the risk as well.
Through citizen adherence with the Clean Indoor Air Act and other intensive efforts in the state, Maryland lowered tobacco use among adult residents from 20.5% in 2000 to 15.2% in 2010. Within that decade, Maryland ranked 11th among states in terms of lowest incidence of smoking among adults.
Nursing facilities throughout Maryland had an average rating of 8.3 out of 10, according to a 2013 survey by the Maryland Health Care Commission and Market Decisions.
Cost of Care
Below are the average daily cost* of long-term care services in Maryland.
| City | Nursing Facility1 | Assisted Living1 | Adult Day Care2 | Home Health Aide3 |
| Annapolis | $251 | $173 | $79 | $120 |
| Baltimore | $297 | $105 | $76 | $126 |
| Rockville | $323 | $176 | N/A | $114 |
| Towson | $365 | $121 | N/A | $138 |
Notes:
*Costs are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
1Daily average for a private room.
2Based on five days of care per week.
3Based on six hours of care per day, five days per week.
Insurance Options
Inflation riders of Mutual Care Plus and United LTCi Solutions, two long-term care insurance products by Mutual of Omaha, saw revisions in Maryland that took effect on March 1, 2012. These revisions also covered the products’ Future Purchase Option.
Maryland’s state government carried out reforms to its regulations involving disclosure of insurance fraud, with an important statement that first appeared on January 1, 2013. Going along with the changes, MedAmerica updated the applications and Client Information Books of its FlexCare LTCI product.
TransCare III, a more recent LTCI policy by Transamerica, became available to Maryland’s would-be policyholders on September 10, 2013. With several advantages over its predecessor, insurance agents primarily sell TransCare III to individuals.
Insurers with approval to sell individual LTCI policies in the state include Bankers Life, Genworth, John Hancock, LifeSecure, New York Life, Northwestern, Physicians Mutual, and State Farm.
State Long-Term Care Programs
The Medicare program can help recipients of long-term care through various plans. Coinsurance for skilled nursing facility services can be found in Part C, Part D, Part F, and Part G. Medicare Part A provides the basic benefits for this type of long-term care, along with home health services.
Individuals and couples with income and asset-based eligibility can benefit from the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program’s financial assistance for out-of-pocket Medicare costs.
While other states operate a federally-facilitated Marketplace for Medicaid, Maryland has a state-based Marketplace known as Maryland Health Benefits Exchange. The state also seeks to expand its Medicaid coverage for more indigent adults beginning January 1, 2014. In fact, enrollees of the Primary Adult Care program automatically become Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicaid pays for some long-term care services necessitated by older adults and people with disabilities.
In Maryland, a Medicaid program called Adult Evaluation and Review Services offers comprehensive health assessments to senior care recipients, especially those who might need skilled care.
More Resources
To get more specific information regarding long-term care services and insurance options in Maryland, please check the following websites:
Allows people to know and look for care services, get resource links, and create a care record.
Maryland Health Care Commission
Provides comprehensive help through the Consumer Guide to Long Term Care.
Health Facilities Association of Maryland
Offers an introduction to LTC, a nursing facility search tool, and useful resources.
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