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Elder Care Information |
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The Best Investment You Can Make Right Now: Long Term Care Insurance
Don't think you need it? Consider this: a full 50% of Americans over the age of 50 will need long term care at some point in their lives. The average cost of nursing facility care (or home health care assistance) is $61,000 per year, and the average stay in a long term care facility is 2½ years. Can you think of a faster way to decimate your nest egg? Or look at it this way: you would never go without homeowner's insurance, would you-even though the chance of a house fire is just one in 1,200. Yet according to a recent study, if you are age 65 or over, you are ten times more likely to find yourself in a nursing home this year as you are to have your house burn down. So if haven't looked into Long Term Care Insurance-or LTCI-now is the time. Become an educated consumer. Find out how it works and what it covers, so you can determine if it is right for you. This overview will get you started. What Exactly Is Long Term Care? Long term care is the assistance you may need if you become unable to care for yourself because of prolonged illness or disability. Generally, a person becomes eligible for LTCI benefits when he or she is unable to perform any two of six "Activities of Daily Living" (bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, continence, and transferring-say from a bed to a chair). People with Alzheimer's disease or severe cognitive impairment are also eligible and those who receive doctor-certification that they require care for at least 90 days. LTCI provides coverage for such care, whether received in a nursing home or in your own home. In fact, one of the advantages of LTCI is that it allows you to make your own healthcare choices-such as electing in-home care that permits you to remain at home. No, Medicare Doesn't Cover It! One of the myths of long term care is that Medicare will foot the bill. But Medicare pays for just a very small percentage of nursing home care, and eligibility is very restrictive. (For a nursing home stay, Medicare requires that you must be hospitalized for at least three days and must receive skilled care daily. In addition, you must enter a Medicare-approved facility and stay in a Medicare-approved bed.) Here's how it works: Medicare covers all eligible expenses for the first 20 days. For days 21-100, you first pay a co-payment as of 2005 is $114.00 per day; Medicare pays the difference. After 100 days, Medicare ceases to pay altogether. In other words, Medicare is designed to cover short term recuperative care. But for most long term care patients, the average period of care exceeds 900 days. And unless you are impoverished and qualify for Medicaid (public aid), you are responsible for those staggering bills. That's where LTCI comes in. What's the Best Time to Buy? The best time to buy, quite simply, is now. The younger and healthier you are, the more insurable you'll be-and the lower your premiums. Already in your 70s? If you're in fair health, chances are you'll be able to obtain coverage. You won't know unless you ask, so by all means ask. Here's a good thing to know: once your policy is in effect, premiums never increase due to changes in your age or health. Premiums remain level unless your insurance carrier raises premiums for an entire class of policyholders in your state. Most policies are guaranteed renewable, which means that the company cannot cancel the policy or reduce benefits regardless of age. Another excellent reason to buy right now: you'll have the protection in case you need it. What Should I Look for in a Policy? Believe it or not, LTCI has been around for more than 30 years. During that time, policies have evolved to become quite sophisticated. As a result, there are a number of plan design features you'll need to consider when evaluating a plan: Coverage: A good LTCI plan includes coverage for nursing facility care, home care, adult day care, assisted living facility care, hospice care, and homemaker or companion services. In addition, the plan should cover your pre-existing conditions and offer complimentary care management and consultation, which can be invaluable in mapping the course of care. Daily Benefits: LTCI benefits range from $100-$500 a day. Your choice should be driven by the cost of living in your area. Find out the actual long term care costs in your region, and use that knowledge to determine your benefit. (Your insurance agent should be able to provide this information.) And don't forget to consider inflation! Will the benefit you choose today be viable ten years from now? Because healthcare costs are rising faster than the cost of living, you may wish to purchase an optional inflation rider, which automatically increases your daily benefit at regular intervals. Benefit Duration: Most LTCI carriers offer a choice of two, three, four or five year benefit durations, as well as an unlimited duration. The longer the benefit duration, the higher the premiums. Consider your age, health, and budget when choosing a benefit duration. Insurance Carrier: Don't be tempted to save a few dollars by purchasing coverage from an unknown quantity. When evaluating insurance carriers, ask for their industry ratings. Rating services such as Standard and Poors and A.M. Best evaluate insurance carriers based on their financial condition and claims paying ability. A strong, solid company will be eager to provide you with its current ratings. A number of solid, reputable insurance carriers-such as Met Life, Genworth, Prudential, John Hancock, and others-offer LTCI. Trust your instincts. How Much Will LTCI Cost? Premiums vary according to your age, health, and plan design. How Do I Get LTCI? LTCI is available on both an individual and group basis. If you are working, ask your employer if your company offers a plan. If not, ask if your spouse, children or even your children's spouses can obtain LTCI at work. Group LTCI coverage is often available to extended family members. Otherwise, find an independent agent who specializes in LTCI. An independent agent represents multiple top-rated companies, so he or she can find the most competitive plans. In addition, a knowledgeable agent will be able to answer your questions and help design the right plan for you. Protect your nest egg-and your healthcare options. For seniors with an eye on the future, Long Term Care Insurance makes more sense than ever. Murray Gordon is the president of MAGA Limited, a long term care insurance agency in Deerfield, IL, http://www.magaltc.com. Contact: Lekas & Levine PR, Joannepr@aol.com.
MORE RESOURCES: Eldest sibling worries about elder care The Boston Globe Hillcrest Care Center Practices Eden Alternative Philosophy For Happier Elder Care In Yuma County, Colorado PRUnderground InnovAge, Denver elder-care provider cut off by Medicare, can now accept new PACE clients The Denver Post Call for public inquiry into elder care during pandemic Irish Examiner Woman charged with felony elder abuse following death of 94-year-old at senior care facility The Mercury News Capasso named Health Dimensions Group senior care executive ... McKnight's Long-Term Care News Inside Japan’s long experiment in automating elder care MIT Technology Review Wave of Rural Nursing Home Closures Grows Amid Staffing Crunch Kaiser Health News Calendar for Jan. 28 Examiner Enterprise Two arrests made in senior living facility elder abuse case News 13 Orlando Feds fork out $30.25M for new Tyendinaga elder care home The Intelligencer Elder Law Guidance selected to Kentucky Rising Stars List for third ... Richmond Register Pandemic continues to affect healthcare jobs, tracker finds Healthcare Dive Older LGBTQ adults face unique challenges in giving and receiving ... American Heart Association News Is AI the future of elder care? The Jerusalem Post $30 million judgment hits nursing home that failed to document ... McKnight's Long-Term Care News Dementia Education named local nonprofit of the year for 2022 by ... Citrus County Chronicle Elder Care Law January 2023 News Channel 5 Nashville How to Make a Caregiving Plan (So It’s Ready When You Need It) The New York Times Nursing home neglect and elder abuse lawsuit claim review Top Class Actions The worst & best nursing homes in the Triangle, based on federal government data Raleigh News & Observer Nursing Homes Win 2-Year Delay on Staffing Mandate Penalties in ... Skilled Nursing News CDC: Updated booster reduces COVID-19 risk for nursing home ... American Hospital Association Preventing Bedsores in Nursing Home Patients Clinical Advisor Will Nursing Home Take Ownership of My Dad's House? ElderLawAnswers.com Clearday Retains ClearThink Capital to Explore Unlocking Value with SPACs Marketscreener.com LETTER: The Town of Greenwich is kicking seniors to the curb. Greenwich Free Press CMS begins publicizing disputed nursing home deficiencies - McKnight's Long-Term Care News A rumination about an aging county Gettysburg Connection McCarthy’s concessions are giving House Republicans angst The Washington Post Costs Beyond Labor: Nursing Home Providers Push for Savings ... Skilled Nursing News Whitmer Promises Seniors Tax Breaks, Better Care | News/Talk ... News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM State counsel recommends Hyman's nursing home license be ... Cleveland Jewish News What Does Having Power of Attorney With Dual Agents Mean? ElderLawAnswers.com What Is IRMAA and How Does It Affect My Medicare Premiums? ElderLawAnswers.com 'A ticking time bomb': NY nursing homes push for Medicaid rate ... North Country Public Radio Plan for sale of Inglis House faces objections and a review in court The Philadelphia Inquirer Can you live with 26 minutes of daily engagement? McKnight's Long-Term Care News Mumbai: BMC budget nearing, senior citizen group submits charter of demands Free Press Journal Duke Energy Florida provides financial assistance as fuel and storm ... Duke Energy News Center Britain’s Hard Lessons From Handing Elder Care Over to Private Equity Kaiser Health News The role of immigrants in the market for elder care Brookings Institution Trilogy Health breaks ground on elder care center in Lancaster Lancaster Eagle Gazette Montana’s elder care system is broken Explore Big Sky NY nursing homes go months without elder care oversight visit The Journal News New tool shows complaints at senior care facilities in Minnesota St. Paul Pioneer Press How utilizing technology could ease senior care at home Mobihealth News Kentucky offering PACE elder care opportunities in limited counties ... User-generated content Stefanik, Harder, Cline Introduce Empowering Employer Child and ... Congresswoman Elise Stefanik 24th annual Elder Care Services Oktoberfest held Sunday WTXL ABC 27 Tallahassee News Elder Law Guys: Who will take care of me when I'm old and gray? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
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