Nursing home costs vary widely by state

Nursing Homes, Nov, 2003

Nursing home care costs the most in "The Last Frontier" state--Alaska--and least in the Deep South, according to a survey commissioned by GE Financial's Long Term Care Insurance division. The national survey examined the annual average cost of a nursing home stay for a person with a debilitating condition such as Parkinson's disease needing ADL assistance, but did not include therapy, rehabilitation, or medication costs.

Alaska topped the list at $166,700 per year, with Louisiana at the bottom at an annual cost of $35,900. The national average was $57,700, a 7% increase from GE Financial's first survey in late 2001. Per-day costs ranged from $69 at one Oklahoma facility to $720 in a nursing home in Alaska. GE Financial said the results underscore the need for baby boomers--wherever they're located--to secure long-term care insurance while they are still healthy enough to qualify.