Understanding demand for private long-term care insurance

Last registered on September 29, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Understanding demand for private long-term care insurance
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016883
Initial registration date
September 25, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 29, 2025, 10:58 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Padmaja Ayyagari
Affiliation
University of South Florida
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Daifeng He
PI Affiliation
Swarthmore College
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PI Name
Ellen Magenheim
PI Affiliation
Swarthmore College
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Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2025-09-10
End date
2025-09-21
Keywords
Health
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This survey experiment examines whether providing information about public insurance coverage for long-term care (LTC) services in the U.S. influences individuals’ willingness to pay for LTC insurance. The survey targets adults aged 50 to 64 and collects data on their perceptions of public LTC coverage. Respondents are randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) baseline information on the cost and risk of LTC; (2) the same baseline information plus information on Medicare non-coverage of LTC; and (3) the same baseline information plus information on both Medicare non-coverage and Medicaid coverage of LTC. After receiving the assigned information, individuals report their willingness to purchase LTC insurance at various price points. We also analyze heterogeneity in responses by demographic characteristics and levels of financial literacy.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ayyagari, Padmaja, Daifeng He and Ellen Magenheim. 2025. "Understanding demand for private long-term care insurance." AEA RCT Registry. September 29. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16883-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-09-10
Intervention End Date
2025-09-21

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcome is interest in purchasing LTC insurance and willingness to pay for it at varying price points. Secondary outcomes include perceived likelihood of needing LTC, beliefs about public program coverage, and planning for future LTC use.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study is a three-arm, individual-level randomized controlled trial embedded in an online survey of adults aged 50 to 64. Participants are randomly assigned in roughly equal proportions (1:1:1) to receive one of three informational treatments related to long-term care (LTC): (1) baseline information on the cost and risk of needing LTC (control), (2) the same baseline information plus information about Medicare non-coverage for LTC (treatment 1), or (3) the same baseline information plus information about both Medicare non-coverage and Medicaid coverage for LTC (treatment 2). All respondents are then asked about their willingness to purchase LTC insurance at a range of premium levels.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is conducted within the survey platform using individual-level simple random assignment with equal probabilities; participants are blinded to the existence of other treatment arms.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
3000 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
3000 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control group - 772
Treatment 1 (Medicare only) - 782
Treatment 2 (Medicare and Medicaid) - 760
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Swarthmore College Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2025-09-26
IRB Approval Number
IRB-FY24-25-30
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials