Long-term care insurance helps pay for assistance you need with “personal care”.  “Personal care” may include help with bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting.

Personal care is not covered by medical insurance.  Personal care is not covered by Medicare nor Medicare supplement policies.

The most common causes for needing personal care are:  Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, arthritis, circulatory disorders, injuries from falls or accidents, and Parkinson’s.

Most long-term care insurance policies are “integrated” policies.  That means that they will pay benefits for “personal care” you receive:

  • at home, or
  • in a qualified facility, like an assisted living facility or nursing home.

In order for your long-term care policy to pay benefits, your doctor must certify that your need for “personal care” is expected to last at least 90 days.

How much of the expenses your long-term care policy covers depends upon the three main choices you make at the time you purchase your long-term care policy:

  1. How much will your policy pay for each day that you receive personal care? (Daily Benefit)
  2. How will the Daily Benefit grow each year to try to keep pace with inflation? (Inflation Benefit)
  3. What is the maximum amount of benefits your policy can pay over your lifetime?  (Policy Limit)

 

“Policy Customization Questions”