The majority of people in Hawaii “erroneously believe” their health insurance plan and government programs like Medicaid or Medicare will cover the costs for long-term services and support.

That comes from a recent statewide survey commissioned by the Hawaii Executive Office on Aging.

The survey was conducted by Market Trends Pacific. It showed that 54 percent of those who responded “are very or fairly familiar with long term care,” while  24 percent have little familiarity.

Those least aware of long-term care are younger male residents who have been in Hawaii for 20 years or less, and who also do not own a home or hold a college degree.

“Many in Hawaii may be aware of the need for long-term care, but there is clearly a smaller percentage who are aware of the need to prepare for the costs associated with that care,” said Terri Byers, director of the Executive Office on Aging, in a press release Tuesday. “We know that we should save and plan for college or retirement, but long term care is not often part of the picture, despite the fact that 70 percent of us will use long-term services and supports at some point in our lives. We recognize that we must begin to change this.”

The Executive Office of Aging plans a public awareness campaign next year to help facilitate that change.