The Hard Facts of Long-Term Care Insurance
Laurie Flynn is a Financial Advisor with Smith Barney and is a supporter of Queercents. She’s written a few posts these past weeks on the topic of investing. These are her words’¦
The Hard Facts of Long-Term Care Insurance
Almost everyone knows the merits of life insurance’”the umbrella for that rainy day. But few of us consider that perhaps a bigger need is for long-term care insurance’”coverage for the unfortunate event that you or a loved one becomes incapacitated or disabled and unable to care for yourself. Indeed, 75 percent of Americans have made no preparations for long-term care. Well, it’s time to face the hard facts about long-term care.
Fact one: Today, approximately 9 million Americans over the age 65 will need some form of long-term care, and that number will reach 12 million by 2020.
Fact two: Don’t let youth lull you into a false sense of security. Although the majority of people who require long-term care are over the age of 65, a substantial 40% are between the ages of 18 and 64.
Fact three: The cost of long-term care can be expensive. According to the Genworth Financial 2007 Cost of Care Survey, the average daily rate of private nursing home care is $204. But that figure could go as high as $539 a day in Alaska to as low as $119 a day in Louisiana. Whatever the cost, will you be able to shoulder these expenses on your own?
However, it’s never too late to evaluate your long-term care needs. Here are some factors you should consider.
Who is a suitable candidate for long-term care insurance? Single people with no one to look after them in case of a debilitating accident or illness should consider taking out a long-term care policy. Since they tend to live longer than men, women are also ideal candidates for this insurance coverage. Finally, anyone who wants to protect a bourgeoning nest egg should contemplate it. Long-term care costs can wreak havoc on your finances.
Is it costly? It varies, depending on the type of policy; how old you are when you apply and your health. Typically, most policies may range from $3,000 to about $7,000 a year. Couples typically receive some type of discount.
What does it cover? Depending on the contract, a typical long-term insurance policy covers any nursing home or institutional setting’”semi-skilled, adult daycare and managed care all the way up to condo-type healthcare homes. It also covers in-home healthcare, both by professionals and family members. Of course, the higher your premium, the more long-term care you will be able to afford.
What doesn’t it cover? Long-term care insurance is not medical insurance. It does not cover hospital stays nor will it cover any medical payments. Long-term care policies also typically do not cover acupuncture, heavy-dose vitamin therapy.
How do you calculate the coverage you need?
- People who have good health records and whose ancestors have lived long lives may want to consider purchasing a policy before they retire.
- If your family has a history of early mortality, long-term care insurance should be something to contemplate when you’re in your forties.
- How much can you afford? Long-term care costs tend to be pricey and vary according to geographic regions.
Is the premium locked in? No. In some cases, premiums have risen as much as 40 percent. However, there is a modicum of protection from excessive rate hikes: Premiums cannot be increased without first receiving approval from your state insurance commissioner. It may seem like a lot on a pure percentage basis, but on a true dollar basis, it can still be a good value.
What kinds of options are involved? You can buy additional insurance meant to provide inflation protection, at a simple or compounded rate. And there are ‘œlimited-pay’ policies, which are intended to insulate you from future rate increases. These are all matters to discuss with your financial advisor.
What triggers the insurance benefit? Think about what you do within the first 15 minutes of waking up: getting up out of bed; getting dressed; going to the bathroom; taking your medication; feeding yourself. Most policies cite the inability to perform two of six daily activities for at least a period of 90 days for the insurance benefit to kick in.
In a separate category, is cognitive impairment: Do you know who the president is, what day it is, who you are? Ultimately, a physician will make a ruling on the impairment. Some policies will allow your personal physician to make that call rather than someone hired by the insurance company.
Finally, how do you get started? Long-term care insurance should be looked at in the context of all your financial assets and liabilities. While there’s plenty of information on the Internet about long-term care insurance and most of the insurance underwriters have educational sections on their websites, nothing beats talking to a qualified financial advisor to help you figure out what’s suitable for you.
———–
Laurie Flynn is a Financial Advisor with Smith Barney located in Toms River, NJ and may be reached at (732) 914-2315 OR (800) 624-0292 Ext. 2315.
Website: www.fa.smithbarney.com/laurie_flynn
Smith Barney is a division and service mark of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Member SIPC.
How does long-term care insurance differ from disability insurance?
Joan, LTC insurance is different from disability insurance in that disability insurance is meant as an income replacement insurance. LTC is more akin to health insurance in that its purpose is to cover the cost of the medical care and facility services. However, standard health insurance policies do not cover long-term care facilities or in-home care. As a general rule of thumb once you leave a hospital and go to a rehab center, nursing home or need skilled care at home, is when the LTC policy would begin to pay. Medicare covers the first few days then this care becomes out of pocket to the patient. Disability insurance can be provided by an employer or private purchase but is intended to provide a percentage of the person’s income in a tax-free form. Please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions via Queercents or directly at (800) 624-0292 Ext. 2315.
Everyone should have long-term care insurance. A car wreck or serious illness can put a young person in a nursing home as surely as old age can do the same for seniors. Nursing care costs many hundreds of dollars a day. Government programs such as Medicaid and its state-run iterations will not cover you until you have spent every penny you have–and that includes selling your home and using up the equity. If you have divested some of your assets–for example, by giving money to your kids or your partner–at any time in the five years preceding your disability, you can be disqualified for government aid. Caring for an incapacitated person who needs to be lifted out of bed for bathing and cleaned up like an infant is not something an elderly partner can be expected to do, nor is it likely an adult child can quit her or his job to take care of you.
But: be careful. There’s a lot of fraud in this industry. Check out this site before buying: http://www.aoa.gov/naic/longterminsurance.html