Long-Term Care Insurance refers to a policy that provides health care services, personal care assistance, skilled care, and other services you might need when you get older. These services can be given either in a nursing home, senior living facility, or in your home.
Though opting for this type of insurance policy can be quite expensive, it still offers many benefits to seniors, especially those who are suffering from cognitive impairments and other chronic health issues. If you want to know more about care insurance, its cost, benefits, and factors to consider before signing the policy, you landed in the right place.
The cost of long-term care insurance may vary depending on the scope of services the policy will cover. Coverage can include one or all of the following:
Some factors may affect the cost of insurance long-term insurance policies such as:
Age
This is one of the main factors that affect the cost of long-term care insurance. On average, seniors aged 50-55 would pay an annual amount of $950 to $1500. On the other hand seniors, between the ages of 60-65 will pay an annual amount of $1,700 to $2,700.
This means that seniors who started paying for the insurance at the age of 50-55 will have lower monthly premium payments than those who started the policy at 60 and above. Take note though that the amount may still vary depending on the policy plan.
Duration
Another factor to consider is the duration of the policy. Long-term care insurance is usually a lifetime care service, but some policies last for 1-10 years. The cost of monthly premium payments may depend on the duration.
Illness
Seniors with certain illnesses such as severe diabetes, Alzheimer’s, or other severe cognitive impairments may not be eligible for long-term insurance care. This is because most insurance companies make sure that their clients are financially capable of paying premium payments.
Additionally, healthy seniors tend to have less expensive premium payments than seniors who have chronic illnesses. This is because seniors with health conditions need extra care and assistance compared to healthy seniors.
Make sure to understand the insurance company’s standards when it comes to long-term care policies so that you can avail the most suitable plan for your needs.
Elimination period
This refers to the period before you can acquire the benefits from your insurance policy. In this period, you are to spend out-of-pocket money to cover health care costs. The elimination period typically ranges from 90-100 days which can be shorter or longer depending on the plan.
This is a crucial factor to consider when applying for care insurance as it concerns your budget and expenses. When you know the policy plan’s elimination period, you have the opportunity to assess your budget and check if it’s just enough to use during the time you need to pay for health care expenses.
Long-term care insurance is considered one of the most expensive care insurance policies for seniors. What’s good with long-term care though is that you get premium health care services when you get older.
Applying for long-term care insurance is completely up to you. Before deciding though, it’s important to weigh down the advantages and disadvantages. You should also take into consideration of your retirement plans, health conditions, and financial capabilities, as well as the benefits the insurance offers.
Though long-term care insurance may offer a lot of benefits to seniors, opting for one is a major decision that should be thoroughly thought about. To help you with that, listed below are factors to consider before opting for one.
Healthy lifestyle
Whether you are living a healthy lifestyle or not, you may still need to have insurance. Some even say that seniors with a healthy lifestyle have a higher possibility of needing long-term care. This is because healthy seniors tend to live longer life and health decline occurs gradually compared to unhealthy ones who have a shorter life span.
One of the benefits of being a healthy person is that you’ll pay lower premium payments and you’ll be more qualified to avail of in-home care services.
Family health history
Are your relatives and other family members too far away? Or are they too occupied by their current job that they can’t provide care for you? These are some questions to ask yourself before opting for long-term care insurance.
It’s also important to know how your parents or grandparents were taken care of during their remaining years. And if they suffered from any conditions that you might inherit. In this way, you can assess whether you might need long-term care when you get older.
The type of care you might need
After going through your family history, you already have the knowledge of what health conditions you might inherit when you get older. If you think you don’t have a loved one or relative to take care of you, then it might be a good option to get long-term care insurance.
Financial capabilities
Before opting, you might want to assess how much the policy cost and if you have enough sources of income to pay the monthly premiums.
For seniors who earn a little income without being able to save, you might not be able to afford let alone get approved for long-term care insurance. In this case, you may solely rely on Medicare and Medicaid when you reach your retirement.
On the other hand, if you have just enough income and savings for your retirement, then opting for long-term care insurance is not a bad choice. Who knows, you’ll probably need it in the future.
However, if you have an abundant amount of income as well as savings, let’s say an accumulated savings of about $2 million or more, then long-term care insurance might not be needed as you are capable of paying your expenses out-of-the-pocket.
Once you have evaluated whether you need long-term care insurance or not. The next step is to find one. You can find through:
Insurance specialists
Examples are insurance agents, brokers, or financial planners. They are the ones that people usually go to when they are planning to start.
Most states usually regulate and monitor insurance companies that offer long-term care. This means that you can contact or visit the Department of Insurance in your state for a start. You can find it here. Just search for “Department of Insurance” in the browse tab located at the upper right corner of the screen.
Your employer
Most employers nowadays offer long-term care insurance to employees, may it be private, public, or under the government. If you’re currently employed, It is much easier to get long-term insurance through your employer than going through the paper works on your own.
Final Thoughts
Long-term care insurance offers a lot of benefits. From home health care, skilled nursing assisted living, and adult day care, to physical, or occupational therapies, long-term care got it covered. Though this type of insurance can be a bit expensive, it can still be a good investment for a better quality of life after retirement.
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