This article describes a survey of middle-aged adults interested in a voluntary personal assistance services (PAS) insurance program. A total of 13,384 adults aged 40-65 answered questions about their interest in PAS insurance in the 2011 Sample Adult National Health Interview Survey. It is estimated that 25.8 million adults aged 40-65 (26.7%) would be interested in paying for a public insurance program to cover PAS benefits. However, interest in PAS insurance varies by age, race, ethnicity, region, income, disability status, and family experience with ADL assistance. Only 1.8% said they would be willing to pay $100 per month or more for coverage. While more than a quarter of the middle-aged adult population said they were interested in PAS insurance, actual participation would be highly dependent on premium rates. The current lack of publicly subsidized insurance for long-term care and personal assistance services remains a serious gap in the disability service system.
After CLASS - Is a voluntary public insurance program a realistic way to meet the long-term support and service needs of adults with disabilities?
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