Long Term Care Insurance

Long term care insurance is an insurance product that helps provide for the cost of long-term care beyond a predetermined period. Long-term care insurance covers care generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.

Individuals who require long-term care are generally not sick in the traditional sense, but instead, are unable to perform the basic activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, bathing, eating, toileting, continence, transferring (getting in and out of a bed or chair), and walking.

Policies can vary in their length of payout, from a couple years to "lifetime." Obviously a lifetime policy charges higher premiums, but not much higher - the typical nursing home stay lasts less than 3 years, meaning the risk of a lifetime policy to the insurer is not that much greater than a 2 or 3-year policy. Policies have a set amount of time between when care starts and when the benefits take effect (comparable to a deductible in other types of insurance coverage). The longer the waiting period is, the lower the premiums.