Utah
The residents of Utah surely know how to stay healthy. A report from the United Health Foundation points out that smoking and binge drinking occur minimally in the state. Only 11% of adults are considered smokers. Utah also has fewer cases of obesity and diabetes than many other states. Its citizens prefer an active lifestyle; in fact, the state is known for having the lowest prevalence of physical inactivity in the U.S.
The Office on Women’s Health notes that chronic ailments, which usually require skilled care, are the leading causes of mortality among Utah’s female population. Heart disease accounts for the highest number of fatalities, followed by cancer, stroke, and chronic respiratory disease.
In addition, the state scored well in preventing hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries.
Cost of Care
Below are the average daily cost* of long term care services in Utah.
| City | Nursing Facility1 | Assisted Living1 | Adult Day Care2 | Home Health Aide3 |
| Cedar City | $236 | $115 | $65 | $114 |
| Provo | $212 | $90 | N/A | N/A |
| Salt Lake City | $214 | $90 | $69 | $150 |
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
Utah is still in the process of formulating a Long Term Care Insurance Partnership program. In 2013, Sen. Todd Weiler of Utah’s Senate District 23 advanced a call of action to devise and implement this program. Weiler said that the Partnership will present an opportunity for clients to benefit from asset protection while staying insured for long term care.
Sen. Weiler passed the SB0014 Long Term Care Partnership bill during Utah’s General Session for 2014.
On May 31, 2013, MassMutual updated the rates of its SignatureCare 500 long term care insurance product in Utah. Along with MassMutual, insurers that market LTCI in this state include Genworth, John Hancock, MedAmerica, Mutual of Omaha, and Transamerica.
State Long Term Care Programs
More than 285,000 Utah residents, or 10% of the state’s population, benefitted from Medicare in 2011. In that same year, around 88,000 of those Medicare dependents were also enrollees in one Medicare Advantage plan or another. The available Medicare Advantage plans vary by county, with a range of 2 to 13 choices.
As with some other states, Utah is expanding its Medicaid coverage to add more prospective beneficiaries in 2014. The government health program can help 111,000 adults in the state, as anticipated through the Affordable Care Act. People can qualify if their incomes meet 138% of the federal poverty level.
Utah oversees waiver programs for home and community-based services, or HCBS. These include Medicaid waivers for adults aged 65 and above, and for people with physical disabilities. The State Implementation Plan describes how the various types of HCBS waivers work.
More Resources
To get more specific information regarding long term care services and insurance options in Utah, please check the following websites:
Division of Aging and Adult Services
Comes with resources for Adult Protective Services and the LTC Ombudsman program.
Utah Eldercare Planning Council
Provides information about the state’s LTC facilities and services, and financial matters like insurance.
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