Gait testing and LTCi

[LostDollar]

There was a recent thread in the life insurance forum that leads me to ask this question.

How significant is gait testing in issue or decline of ltci?

And is the test just for speed of walking or both speed and balance?

Thanks.

 

[GreenSky]

Why is this question important to you? Are you buying LTC insurance?

Rick

 

[ltcadviser]

Agents are tested on gait to determine how quickly they can run away from certain clients.

 

[kpbdy99]

I was an LTC underwriter for a few years. If a client has a face-to-face asessment, either because of their age at time of application, as a routine part of the underwriting process, or because the underwriter orders it "for cause," then gait testing will be part of that. I don't think speed is, in and of itself, measured beyond "is this a normal gait for a person of this age," which would be quite subjective. Balance is definitely watched closely. If a client us holding onto furniture, or shows any sign of instability, that's going to scare the hell out of an underwriter. Any significant gait abnormality would likely be of concern. But, the assssors know that a 78-year old isn't going to necessarily be as agile as a 65-year old.

If the client has been gait-tested prior to applying, and that's noted in the medical records, you can be sure that the underwriter is going to be very aggressive in finding out what prompted a doctor to request that sort of testing.