Category Archives: long term care insurance california

What Are These Celebrities Saying About Long Term Care?

Angela Basset, Rob Lowe, Jim Nantz, Maria Shriver, Zachary Quinto, and Maggie Gyllenhaal recently shared their experiences and thoughts on the issue of “having that conversation” with a loved one regarding long term care planning.

We have helped over 30,000 people with their long-term care coverage needs.

Fill out our short form to the right of this page, download your Free guide and let one of our specialists help you discover all options available to you. This service is absolutely FREE!

According to a February 2015 ABC News story, “Bassett, 56, had to deal with different long-term care situations involving both her mother, Betty Jane, who died last year, and mother-in-law, who was diagnosed with ALS and is now living with her family. “I know the importance of it,” she said of having the discussion with your kids or other loved ones. “It’s absolutely something we are each going to deal with, our parents as well as ourselves, one day.”

Rob Lowe made a point about YOU being the architect of your future, and shared a story about his father who not only one a prestigious golf and tennis championship, but who also received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that very same week.

No one actually knows how they are going to age, if they will get sick, require care, or even if they outlive all of their family. Having the conversation about long-term care can be difficult because you need to admit that at some point like 70% of the 65 and older population, you may need some help. Angela Basset and Rob Lowe also pointed out that neither Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, nor neither do the vast majority of other health care insurance policies cover long-term care medical expenses.

California is also a state with a very scattered long-term care network. There are over a 100 program options with 20 offices that administer those programs. There are currently discussions on reworking the State long-term care systems to cut back on waste, confusion, and being able to meet the needs of a growing culturally diverse population.

Long term care planning includes certain medical needs that most health insurance companies are not equipped to take care of, that is why it is important; as the architect of your future, that you get a solid blueprint in place of what your future is going to look like.

That is why California Long Term Care Insurance Agency is here to help you understand all of your options and find the best possible plan designed to fit your needs now, and in the future.

Fill out our short form to the right of this page, download your Free guide and let one of our specialists help you discover all options available to you. This service is absolutely FREE!

ABC News Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/angela-bassett-long-term-care-conversation/story?id=29221506

Choice & Dignity

long term care insurance can help you. Aides can come into your home, but these costs are not usually covered by ordinary health insurance policies and Medicare. These expenses can quickly deplete your nest egg, no matter how much you’ve saved. This is when long term care insurance can help.

Long term care insurance (LTCI) can help cover the cost of care you receive at home from nurses’ aides, home health aides and therapists. It can help cover services in an assisted living facility and, if you require skilled care, nursing home expenses can be covered.

It helps you maintain your dignity and financial freedom and gives you the flexibility to participate in making choices that impact your care — about the services you receive, where you receive them and who provides the care you need.

Someone who has a chronic condition or is returning from a stay in a hospital or rehabilitation facility may need these services, which can be covered by long term care insurance:

Nursing Home Care

Nursing homes give residents skilled nursing care 24 hours a day, along with medication monitoring, rehabilitation and physical therapy, room and board and personal care and supervision.

Skilled In-Home Nursing Care

In-home and live-in nurses provide skilled nursing services like clinical assessment and monitoring, intravenous therapy, ventilator and tracheotomy management and cardiac care.

Adult Day Care

Based in the community, adult day care centers provide daytime supervision, giving family caregivers much needed assistance. Along with social activities, they may provide health services and therapy.

Hospice Care

Hospice care furnishes medical services and emotional support for those in the last stages of terminal illnesses. Hospice helps patients manage their symptoms so they can continue an alert, pain-free life and spend their final days with dignity, surrounded by loved ones. It also helps their family members with the practical details and emotional challenges of caring for a dying loved one. These programs offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in homes, hospice centers, nursing homes, long-term care facilities and hospitals.

Personal and Home Health Aides

These aides help the elderly, disabled or ill with personal care like bathing, dressing, eating and taking medication. By receiving these services at home, people can remain in the comfort of their own homes longer

Homemaker Services

These aides help people complete those household tasks that they can’t manage alone, like housecleaning, cooking and running errands, making it possible for their clients to continue to live independently in their own homes.

Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living facilities (or residential care facilities) can provide personal care and health services for people who may need assistance with activities of daily living, but not the level of care provided by a nursing home. Assisted living is an intermediate level of long term care, not an alternative to a nursing home.

Ready to learn more? Call us today at (800) 303-1527.

Life Insurance with Long Term Care Benefits

If traditional long term care insurance premiums and policies aren’t a good fit for you, but you still want to protect your assets and your family against the exorbitant costs of long term care, we have a solution for your consideration:  Life insurance with long term care benefits.

If You Don’t Use It, You Don’t Lose It

The biggest complaint about long term care insurance is that no one wants to pay all those premiums and end up not needing the insurance coverage – after all, none of us want to end up in a nursing home and if we can avoid it, we will.

To meet that very concern, long term care insurance professionals have come up with a solution.  It’s life insurance with a long term care rider.  This product is referred to as a “hybrid” because it’s a combination of life insurance and long term care insurance.

Here’s What Our Clients Love About Life Insurance with Long Term Care Benefits

You absolutely need to consult with a professional to make sure the hybrid is a good fit for you situation, but, in the meantime, here are the things our clients love about life insurance with long term care rider in California.

  • The best part of the hybrid is that if you don’t use the long term care benefits, your loved ones get a big payout.
  • Your premium payments don’t go to waste.
  • Your premiums are guaranteed; they will NEVER be raised.

Here’s What to Do Next

Your next step is to determine which kind of long term care insurance product is the best fit for you, if any.  

Life insurance with long term care benefits works for many folks.  To find out if it is right for you, we welcome your call , contact us.  During our conversation we’ll chat about the best way for you to pay for long term care.  There is no fee for this conversation, no obligation, and never any pressure to buy.  It’s okay to call right now.

 

Annuities and Long Term Care

Are you someone who thinks there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having your cake and eating it to?  We agree!  And, certainly, the best way to describe annuities with long term care riders is to use this cake analogy. 

Why Long Term Care Annuities Were Invented

What frustrates many folks (about paying long term care insurance premiums) is that they have to pay money for something they hope they never have to use – ‘tis the way with all insurance.  However, we are happy to announce that there’s good news.

Instead of losing your hard earned dollars, you can purchase an annuity with long term care benefits. 

Make sense?  Read on to find out how these annuities with LTC riders work.

How Annuities with Long Term Care Riders Work

If a long term care annuity is a good fit for you, you’d put a lump sum of money (e.g. $50,000 or $100,000) into an annuity.  You then receive an income stream from that annuity – part of that income goes into a long term care “pot” and part of that income can be used however you’d like.

  • You can choose between immediate annuities and deferred annuities.  
  • Your LTC benefits depend upon how much you put into the annuity. The benefits may be enough to pay for some or all of your care, depending on the income stream you chose to purchase.
  • If you die without having used that long term care pot, the money goes to your loved ones.

Here’s Your Next Step

Because it’s important to analyze whether long term care annuities are right for you – or not, we invite you to call our offices. 

  • At no charge and with no obligation, we’ll work through your paying for long term care options.
  • If long term care annuity products are right for you, we’ll help you select the best fit.  If not, we’ll point you in the right direction.

To find out whether long term care annuities are a good fit for you, we invite you to contact us and let us help with your plans to protect yourself, your assets and family.  We welcome your call now.

Long Term Care Insurance – Answers to Common Questions in N California

Long Term Care Insurance – Answers to Common Questions

Will You need Long Term Care?

It’s hard to believe, but the estimated risk for needing Long Term Care continues to climb with each passing year. Now, the Federal government estimates that each individual has a 70% chance of needing Long Term Care in their lifetime. Recent studies reveal that if you are 60 years old you have more than a 60% chance of needing long term care. If you are over 65 years old, your chances of needing care goes up to 70%.

Who Is More At Risk for Needing Long Term Care?

Your age, marital status, gender, lifestyle and, to some extent, your family health history all play a part in the possibility of needing long term care.

According to insurance actuarials, you are more at risk if you:

* are older
* are a woman
* are single
* have a poor diet
* don’t exercise regularly
* smoke
* have a family history of Alzheimer’s, stroke, arthritis, or other degenerative diseases.
* Also, physical activities that can cause severe accidents should be included as a definite risk.

The Long Term Care Cycle

91% of Americans surveyed said they would prefer receiving Long Term Care at home. Indeed, of those needing care only 5% are in Skilled Nursing Facilites.

12% are in Assisted Living Facilities and more than 80% are receiving Home Care

Therefore, it isn’t a surprise that most Long Term Care starts at home with the help of family or friends until the caregiving burden becomes a too much of a hardship. The next step might be to hire a paid caregiver to help with care duties in the home. Yet many people can’t afford such a luxury, even if they hire unskilled, unlicensed, unsupervised “grey market” caregivers. As care needs increase the next care setting of preference is Assisted Living Facilities, as they are more like hotels than the hospital-type setting of a Skilled Nursing Facility. Most people do everything in their power to stay out of nursing homes, which is one reason why the average nursing home stay is only 2.5 years.

While most Americans suspect that they might need long term care “sometime” in the future, many underestimate care costs and falsely assume that Medicare or their health insurance will pay for extended care. They will not. Medicare will only pay for a short time and only under specific, limited circumstances. The only governement agencies that pay for Long Term Care are Medicaid and the Veteran’s Administration. Both are notorious for their lack of care quality and poor quality of life for their residents.

Boomers’ Mindset

Boomers have been raised to expect a decent quality of life and the freedom to make their own choices. They cherish independence, pleasure and, as they have matured, the joys of family and friends.

As a generation, Boomers were not raised to expect or shoulder sacrifice, although they can and do rise to the occasion. For most, the mere thought of a loved one enduring the extraordinary burden and sacrifice of day-to-day caregiving is enough to motivate Boomers to protect themselves and their families.

The value of Long Term Care insurance is that it:

1) supports independence by providing the ability to pay for Home Care and Assisted Living costs. It give people choices.
2) protects loved ones from the burdens of caregiving.

Long Term Care insurance should be called “nursing home and family caregiving prevention insurance”, and for these benefits alone it is worth its price.

Either having LTC insurance or paying for care costs out-of-pocket allows you to choose where to receive care, even when caregiving needs increase. However, Long Term Care insurance is less expensive in the long-run.

When Should I Buy Long Term Care Insurance?

The sooner the better! LTC insurance premiums go up in price as you get older, although once you buy a policy your premiums do not rise due to aging or health. For years, financial planners were telling their clients to wait until age 65, but this is no longer considered sound advice. The Federal and State Partnership Programs encourage people to buy as early as age 40, mostly to increase the financial security of the programs, but also to ensure that people do not become a burden on Welfare/Medicaid if they get sick or injured at an early age and need long term care.

If you can afford the premium for years to come, buy now to protect yourself and your family.

Please visit www.californialongtermcare.com if you would like more information regarding Long Term Care Insurance.

Insure Your Retirement Funds with Long Term Care Insurance in California

Insuring Your Retirement Funds

It might sound strange to be told to insure your retirement funds, but after working hard and diligently saving all that money, wouldn’t you want to make sure that the funds will be there for you when you need them?

As you move into retirement, you are also moving towards age-related health problems. Events beyond your control, such as stroke, heart disease and cognitive impairment can change one’s way of life.

Many people are under the impression that government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid will cover the costs of long term care. Medicare will cover some skilled nursing for a limited period. Medicaid will only cover long term care costs for impoverished individuals. Health insurance does not cover nursing home or other long term care costs except for short-term rehabilitation.

Out of pocket costs for needed long term care resulting from age-related health problems such as home care, nursing home or assisted living will quickly deplete retirement funds and leave the remaining healthy spouse impoverished.

Long term care insurance is the answer to insure your retirement funds and provide protection so that the money stays intact and at the same time insurance provides a way to pay for elder care services.

In his book “The Total Money Makeover ,” Dave Ramsey says of long term care insurance, “If you are over sixty, buy long term care insurance to cover in-home care or nursing home care. The average nursing home stay costs $100,000 per year, which will crack and scramble a nest egg in a heartbeat. Dad in the nursing home can use up Mom’s $250,000 savings in just a few short years.”

Long term care Insurance to insure your retirement makes sense. You insure your car against damage, your home against fire, and you purchase life insurance, so why not insure what can be the largest and most devastating risk to you and your family? And unlike the other risks you insure against, long term care is the most likely to happen. Long term care insurance will also help you keep your independence and dignity and allow you to make choices about where you want to spend your final years.

Here are some specific reasons for buying long term care insurance:

•  If you are married and you have a need for long term care, your spouse will be able to pay for an outside caregiver and receive needed rest and recuperation.

•  If your children promise to take care of you, then when the time comes that you need care, insurance will help them do that by paying for aides to help with tasks such as bathing and incontinence.

•  If you are single and a need for long term care arises and you have no family who can help you, insurance can pay for and coordinate that care.

•  If you have the desire to leave assets behind when you die, insurance will help preserve those assets from the cost of long term care.

“You should also consider buying long term care insurance at a younger age. There is an advantage for doing this. The premium is lower.

For example, a person, currently age 45, buying a typical policy with a spouse, could spend $21,146 in total premiums to age 78.

Suppose this same person chooses to wait to buy the equivalent coverage at age 65.

If that same policy were available in the future, the couple that waits could pay $52,566 in total premiums over their 13 remaining years to age 78. Because they waited, they would pay 2 ½ times more for the same policy.

In addition to the rates going up with age, the health qualifications will be stricter and development of health problems related to aging may even disqualify a person from obtaining a policy.” “The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning,” National Care Planning Council

There are dozens of long term care insurance companies selling a multitude of different policy options. It can become very confusing. For each policy, there are literally thousands of benefit combinations for home care, assisted living, nursing home care, waiting periods, payment amounts, inflation riders, and the list goes on.

You can take the time to do your own research or find a competent long term care insurance agent.

Here is a checklist of some of the things you need to know before you purchase a policy.

LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE BUYING CHECKLIST

The more “yes” answers you get the better off you are.

1) Is the insurance company rated by A. M. Best (the rating company)

with a rating of at least A, A+ or A++?

2) Is it a large diversified company with deep pockets and selling more

than just long term care insurance?

3) Is the insurance representative an expert in long term care

insurance? (Because of its complexity, almost all LTCi experts only

sell LTCi; they seldom sell anything else.)

4) Does the representative have a degree and/or industry financial

designations?

5) Does the representative own a personal long term care insurance

policy for himself or herself?

6) Is the policy you like tax qualified, and if not, do you understand the

ramifications?

7) Are there at least 6 ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living) allowed for

in the benefit certification?

8 Does it allow “standby assistance”?

9) Is it a “pool of money” as opposed to a “stated period”?

10) Is it “integrated” as opposed to “2-pool”? (2-pool is not allowed in

many states.)

11) Do you understand how the elimination period works? (This is

extremely important.)

12) Does it have prohibitive cost containment provisions?

13) Is there any “capping” or other future reduction of automatic benefit

increase riders?

14) Do you understand how the waiver of premium works?

15) Does the assisted living facility benefit pay the same as for nursing

home?

16) Are you buying adequate home care coverage?

17) Does the company have a history of premium rate stability without

periodic increases?

18) Does the policy pay for homemaker services?

19) Does the policy offer an alternative plan of care for services that

don’t exist today?

The National Care Planning Council provides a list of long term care insurance specialists and on its website at www.longtermcarelink.net .

Visit us at www.californialongtermcare.com for help with your retirement needs in California.

Return of Premium and Repositioning for Long Term Care Insurance

Affordable LTCI Premiums

Katie O’ Rourke
Managing Partner

What if I buy a long term care insurance policy, pay them premiums for 10, 15. 20 years and never use it? Does that mean I lose money? One of the things that makes people hesitate to purchase Long Term Care (LTC) insurance is the possibility that they may never need to use it.  This is really more of a hope since 70% of us will need care during our lives.

This is very valid concern, and many people feel the same way. What most people find though is that when a catastrophic claim happens, they think less about the few dollars they saved switching carriers and more about if they have the best policy that is going to cover their losses and get them even again. Insurance professionals know that the only time their clients are not worried about insurance premiums is when they call in with a claim and need help.

 Have you ever taken an insurance inventory? Think about all the policies you have right now… do you own a car and have car insurance? How about a home with homeowners insurance? Do you have life insurance through work or a private policy on someone you love? Do you carry health insurance, maybe dental and vision coverage?

 If insurance is so expensive and we worry about the “what if” we never use it, then why buy insurance at all? If you look at the entire business of insurance, it is based on losses and insuring against the “what-ifs” that most people prefer to not think about. Insurance companies understand this, and so to make it easier, they have developed policies that protect their clients, and give them relief should they never actually use certain policies.

 Frankly, I hope that planning for long-term care means I will not need it. (I also hope I do not need to use my homeowners, auto and health insurance.)  There are few ways to solve this problem.  One is to get coverage that includes a Return of Premium feature.  If you never need to use the policy then the premiums are returned to your estate or beneficiary. 

 Another option is to move the cash value of an existing Life insurance or Annuity into a policy that includes LTC coverage.  This repositioning of the value can provide coverage at no cost.  A final thought is to purchase a Life insurance or annuity plan with an LTC rider.  Then you get the money no matter what happens between now and then.  There are many ways to plan for the worst and hope for the best. 

 Some of these policies can be complex and confusing, and that is why agents specialize in certain types of insurance, attend on-going education each year to stay on top of laws, policy changes, and regulatory matters. When you want to buy an insurance policy that will not only cover you in the event of a loss, but also give you your money back should you never use it, you ought to speak to a licensed and qualified professional who specializes in this coverage. You wouldn’t go to a brain doctor for heart surgery right?

 That is why we screen all of our agents based on their commitment to the industry, industry training credentials, and areas of expertise. When you speak to one of our agents today about a Return of Premium policy, or Rider based product, you are going to know you have the most qualified person to help answer your unique questions, and provide you with the best options to choose from.

 Go ahead and get in touch with our specialists today, simply enter your details on the right hand side and we look forward to speaking to you shortly to give you the information you need.

Is LTC Insurance right for me?

Long Term Care Insurance

how do i know if long term care insurance is right for me?Deciding to buy a long-term care insurance policy is an important decision. These policies can help pay for many types of long-term care, but they are not for everyone. We will give you some guidelines commonly accepted in the next section to help you determine if this type of policy may be right for you. If you decide to buy, make sure you compare the costs and benefits of policies from different insurance companies and only those with top ratings. Our Long Term Care Insurance specialists are available to help you with this process.

What does it cover?

Long-term care insurance policies typically cover nursing home stays, community services such as adult day care, in-home care and assisted living facilities. Be sure to consider your desired type of care and choose a policy that covers you in that area. In other words, if your plan is to stay with your daughter in her home, then be sure you will be able to receive benefits in that setting.

A policy covering three to five years of care is the most cost-effective option for most people. However, if you are concerned about care for Alzheimers disease or other types of dementia, you may want to consider more comprehensive coverage.

Is it right for me?

Generally, financial planners recommend considering long-term care insurance if you own assets of at least $75,000 (this does not include your home or car); have annual retirement income of at least $25,000 to $35,000 for an individual or $35,000 to $50,000 for a couple; or are able to pay premiums without financial difficulty, even if premiums increase over time. Long-term care insurance is probably not for you if these factors do not apply to you.

Long-term care insurance can be expensive, depending on your age and health status when you buy the policy and how much coverage you want. Policy costs also vary according to the benefits you choose. It is better to buy long-term care insurance at a younger age when premiums are lower.

Where to go from here?

If you feel that you would like personal assistance with Long Term Care Insurance or other planning issues, we are here to help.

Our LTCI specialists make your shopping experience easy, by helping compare the costs and benefits of policies from select insurance companies. To speak to a representative or schedule an appointment, simply contact us.

Why Private Long-Term Care Insurance in California?

Private Long Term Care Insurance?
Written By: Marilyn Katz

The Need for Long Term Care Insurance

Do you need long term care insurance (LTC or LTCi) to help you meet your retirement and long term financial plans? I think that you are making a big gamble if you do not consider how you will pay for the possibility of needing some sort of long term nursing care or assisted living. Consider how this is becoming an even bigger risk as we age.

We are Living Longer, but Will Be More Likely to Need Care

Americans are living longer, and this is good news. You have probably heard the news that many term life insurers are actually reducing premiums because we have increased our average life spans. However, that happy news also comes with an increased chance we will spend an increased amount of time with nursing care. In fact, experts estimate that 50 – 70 percent of us will need some help as we age!

Nursing or Living Care Costs Money

Live in help, and especially nursing care, is not cheap. A traditional nursing home can cost $4,000 a month or more. That is in today’s dollars, and costs have been increasing. Many families have seen a lifetime of savings evaporate because of an extended stay in a nursing facility.

Other forms of care may not be much cheaper. If a person gets care from home health professionals, it can also cost thousands a month depending upon the type of care. A few hours a week to prepare meals may not cost much, but if care is needed 24 hours a day, imagine the cost of paying for 3 shifts of home health care workers that have to be there 7 days a week!

Assisted living facilities are usually less expensive, but still can cost thousands of dollars each month. And people must be qualified to enter them. Others may simply be too ill for assisted living, and must go to a more expensive full service nursing facility. It is impossible to predict these things.

Does Health Insurance Cover Extended Nursing Care?

Most health insurance, including Medicare, does not cover long term stays in a facility. Medicare covers a few months, but then stops paying. Medicaid, the federal health insurance for poor people, kicks in only after most assets are depleted. Health insurance is usually not a good solution to this problem.

What Kinds of LTCI Can You Find?

What kinds of LTCI can you find on the market? Major insurers offer a variety of policies. Waiting periods, daily rates, and covered maximum stays vary. Some cover any type of care that an individual needs, while others only cover specific types of care. One policy may only cover a nursing facility, while other policies may cover any choice that is made that makes sense for the covered person.

How Much Does Long Term Care Insurance Cost?

Again, rates will depend upon the type of policy you find, the insurer, and your local area. Beyond that, an applicant’s age, general health, and health status will affect the cost. You can find some simple online insurance quote forms to help you compare the policies and prices that you can find in your area.

If you have questions regarding Long-Term Care Insurance, please visit us at www.californialongtermcare.com.

What is Long-Term Care Insurance? Find out more about your options in California

Traditional Long-Term Care Insurance

Traditional Long-Term Care Insurance used to be viewed as “nursing home insurance” because most policies from 15 years ago only offered that one option. Today, that is hardly the case.  Long-term care insurance now covers adult day care, in-home care, assisted living, and nursing home care. These policies are considered comprehensive in nature. Now we refer to long-term care insurance as “lifestyle insurance”.

Who CAN’T Get Long-Term Care Insurance?

 

Underwriting Explained

When you apply for a Long-Term Care Insurance plan, you must go through underwriting. Underwriting means that the company will check your medical records to determine what medical problems you may currently have, or have had in the past. They want to know your overall health history. If you have been diagnosed with short-term memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or if you have had a stroke with permanent physical impairment, you may not qualify. People who have survived cancer and are treatment free for a certain length of time can often qualify. Each insurance company has their own underwriting guidelines. It is best to talk to your agent, or call the company directly with any specific questions about health issues. Height and weight are also a consideration when applying. Sometimes the insurance company will send a registered nurse to the home to ask a few questions, and take some more medical history, or they may just call on the phone for a brief interview.

Qualifying to USE the Benefits of a Long-Term Care Insurance Plan

 

Activities of Daily Living

When it’s time to use your tax qualified Long-Term Care Insurance plan (taxes to be discussed in a later chapter), the insured person must need help or substantial assistance with 2 out of 6 activities of daily living for a period of 90 days or greater. This need for care must be certified by a licensed healthcare practitioner such as a nurse or physician.

These activities of daily living include:

Bathing

Dressing

Eating

Toileting

Continence

Transferring (i.e. moving from the bed to a chair)

Or, the insured must have a cognitive impairment, like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. A cognitive impairment means that although a person may be physically able to perform all of the activities listed above, they cannot remember or rationalize how to do those activities. One example would be bathing. Sometimes people with dementia are physically able to take a bath, but can’t remember to do so, or can’t remember why this is important. Or, perhaps when getting dressed, they put on five shirts instead of one.

 

Comprehensive vs. Facility Only Plans

 

Comprehensive Plans

A comprehensive plan covers all aspects of long-term care: in-home care, adult day care, assisted living, and nursing home care. These plans are designed to help people stay at home longer, and also assist them with transitions to other levels of care as needed. Most consumers want to stay at home for as long as possible. A comprehensive plan will satisfy that desire.

Facility Only Coverage

Facility only plans are still available on the market today. Facility only plans pay for just that, facility care only. Usually this includes assisted living and nursing home care. A facility only plan makes the most sense for folks who do not have a large network of family and friends around them, and for people who know that this may be their only option in the future.  Facility only plans are less costly than comprehensive plans, but again, offer payment only for nursing home and assisted living care. The insured person cannot live at home and use the benefits of a facility only plan.

 

Benefit Period

The benefit period is the length of time the policy will actually pay for care. There are many different benefit periods available including 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, and unlimited lifetime coverage. When purchasing long-term care insurance, keep in mind that premiums are paid for potentially the next 20 years (or until the policy holder needs care), but the plan will only last about as long as the benefit period originally selected.

People often ask, “How do I know which benefit period to choose?” “How do I know how long I might need care?”

Obviously, there is no way to really determine how long a person might need care. However, the best advice is for each individual to take a look at their own personal health history, and their family history.  If there is a history of chronic disease such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, it might be worthwhile to consider a longer benefit period.

Visit us at www.californialongtermcare.com with any questions, and for more information on obtaining Long-Term Care Insurance in California.