Assuring the quality of long-term care insurance benefits through care management: the California partnership for long-term care

Despite recent improvements in long-term care insurance (LTCI) policies, concerns have been raised regarding just how well LTCI benefits actually meet elderly consumers' health and financial needs. In this case study, we examined the quality assurance (QA) provisions in a state-sponsored LTCI program, the California Partnership for Long-Term Care (CPLTC). CPLTC invests the primary responsibility for QA with care management networks, which assure quality services through care monitoring, quarterly service record reviews, and annual documentation of care manager clinical competence. Study findings suggest a number of limitations in existing QA policies and procedures, which can undermine the ability of care managers and other third parties to identify and rectify potential unmet needs among LTCI policyholders. These findings, while based on an intensive analysis of QA provisions in a particular, state-sponsored LTCI program, are likely to have implications for other LTCI programs and policies, most of which have less well-developed QA provisions.