Minnesota Long-Term Care Information

Minnesota

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rated the state’s air quality as good through an assessment of fine particles and ozone. Good air quality means that atmospheric conditions put the health of Minnesota residents at risk only minimally, if not at all.

According to 2012 data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Minnesota had a remarkably-balanced population distribution of men and women. Adults 19 to 64 years of age comprised 61% of the state’s residents at that time, and adults aged 65 and above made up 14% of the population. Poverty affected 13% of the Minnesota’s overall number of citizens, and 9% of senior citizens.

Type 2 diabetes affects older adults more than younger individuals. Around 17% of Minnesota’s senior citizens were diagnosed having diabetes in 2012, compared to just 9% of adults aged 45 to 64. One of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes is obesity. In 2012, one in four Minnesota adults was reported as obese.

Approximately 75,000 registered nurses worked in Minnesota in that year. Of these registered nurses, 9% provided services in long-term care facilities. Another 9% found employment in home health agencies.

Cost of Care

Below are the average daily cost* of long-term care services in Minnesota.

City	Nursing Facility¹	Assisted Living¹	Adult Day Care²	Home Health Aide³
Minneapolis	$237	$82	$79	$162
St. Paul	$266	$121	$98	N/A

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

TransCare III, a recently-launched long-term care insurance product by Transamerica, became available in Minnesota on September 10, 2013. With its elimination period extended to one year and maximum daily benefit amount raised to $500, TransCare III adjusts to the LTCI market’s present situation. Transamerica sells this policy to individuals and some associations.

On November 9, 2013, TransCare III policies that are qualified for Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) Partnership went on sale in Minnesota.

State residents can also buy LTCI policies from American General Life, Bankers Life, Country Life, Genworth, John Hancock, LifeSecure, Massachusetts Mutual, MedAmerica, Mutual of Omaha, Northwestern, and State Farm.

State Long-Term Care Programs

Medicare helps senior citizens and people with disabilities pay for long-term care that often involves skilled care services. Care dependents who find difficulty in paying premiums can get financial assistance from the state’s Medicare Savings Program. Two options make up Minnesota’s Medigap plans: the Basic Plan and the Extended Basic Plan. The Extended Basic Plan comes with extra deductibles and a slightly longer coverage for skilled nursing facility care.

Minnesota’s Medicaid program goes by the name of Medical Assistance. It gives health-related coverage to more than 700,000 indigent Minnesota residents every month, including older adults. Prospective clients can enroll in Medical Assistance through a state-based Marktetplace called MNSure. Medicaid expansion enables Medical Assistance to accommodate more low-income beneficiaries.

The state insures working and retired government employees and academic staff, along with their spouses, through the Minnesota Public Employee Long-Term Care Insurance Plan (M-Pel). As it offers group LTCI, a 45-year old M-Pel client can pay just $15 a month for premiums. In addition, premium rates stay the same even as M-Pel dependents age.