Did you know that nearly 30 million Americans don't have health insurance coverage? Not only could this cause issues with isolated incidents, but it could also prove to be a problem when it comes to extended care.

Long-term care insurance (LTC) can help you avoid the financial burden of out-of-pocket expenses that come with long-term care services.

Not everybody understands what they need to about this type of coverage, however. Let's take a closer look at the key attributes of long-term care to consider.

So, What Is Long-Term Care Insurance?

It's an insurance policy that helps pay for personal and medical costs associated with long-term care services. This type of coverage can include nursing home care, home health services, and adult day care.

It can also include assisted living expenses or hospice care in the event of a chronic illness or disability.

Long-term care insurance is ideal for those who will need ongoing health benefits. As such, people generally begin to look into this insurance toward the latter third of their life (around 55 years old).

What Are the Primary Benefits of Long-Term Care Insurance?

The primary benefit of LTC insurance is that it helps cover the costs of long-term care expenses, including those that Medicare and other health insurance plans don't typically cover.

It also provides you with more choices when considering different care options, as well as financial security and protection against exhausting your life savings on medical bills.

Let's take a closer look at some of the most notable benefits.

Tax Incentives

LTC expenses are tax deductible in some cases.

This means that you can deduct a certain amount of your premiums from your taxes each year if they are qualified expenses. Certain tax-free distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s for LTC expenses are also allowed in some cases.

However, there are many factors at play when determining tax incentives.  For instance, your tax obligations may change depending on how much you pay for your policy.

You may also need to meet certain requirements to be eligible for a particular deduction. Otherwise, you may not experience as much of a tax break as expected.

Peace of Mind

Long-term care insurance provides peace of mind knowing that you are prepared for the future and can get the help you need if needed.

It also helps to protect your family's financial security by avoiding out-of-pocket expenses associated with long-term care services.

Having this level of peace of mind can go a long way toward maximizing your mental health. Once you know that everything is taken care of, you won't have to worry about not having access to the resources you need.

Flexible Coverage Options

You can customize the coverage you need depending on your circumstances and budget. For example, you might choose to purchase a policy with an inflation protection rider, so that the policy's benefits increase over time to keep up with rising costs.

Having this level of flexibility can help you find a policy that is able to meet all of your needs. Some long-term care insurance plan providers are more flexible than others, though. Your exact coverage will vary highly depending on who you work with in the future.

Preservation of Assets

With this type of insurance, you can avoid draining your resources on long-term care costs. This will help preserve your assets for other family members or beneficiaries after you pass away.

Assets to consider include your home, investment accounts, etc. Feel free to manage these as you see fit.

Are Customizable Plans Available?

Depending on your insurance provider, you may be able to customize your long-term care plan.

This could include a variety of options, such as selecting the length of time that benefits will be paid out or choosing different levels of coverage. This will allow you to tailor your plan to fit your individual needs.

What Is the Long-Term Care Insurance Cost?

The cost of LTC insurance depends on a number of factors, including the type and amount of coverage you purchase. It's important to consider these expenses when deciding if an LTC policy makes sense for you.

Generally speaking, premiums can range anywhere from several hundred dollars per year to several thousand dollars.

Factors that affect the cost of your policy include your age, health status, the type of policy you purchase, and how much coverage it offers. Your gender and daily benefits paid out will also play a role.

People also find that their premiums may increase drastically as they age if they do not enroll sooner rather than later. In general, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the lower your premiums will be.

This is simply due to the fact that you are less likely to have serious medical conditions. You are also less likely to require an intensive level of care. You can lower your initial cost by taking steps to improve your lifestyle.

Many people choose to purchase this type of policy at a young age and pay the monthly premiums until they need coverage. The money you save on expenses will far outweigh the extra money you spend in the years leading up to your long-term care.

When Is the Best Time to Sign Up?

The ideal time to sign up for long-term care insurance is when you are in good health and your finances are stable.

This way, you can choose a policy that meets your needs, while being able to enjoy the benefits of lower premiums.

It's also important to keep in mind that insurance companies have age limits when it comes to enrolling in long-term care insurance policies, so it's important to make sure you're signing up before the age limit passes.

The sooner you purchase a long-term care policy, the better. By doing so, you can start taking advantage of the many benefits it offers and protect your family's financial security.

Of course, you should only enroll when it makes sense to.

What Are the Signs You Should Enroll?

Some people find themselves indecisive when it comes to choosing insurance for long-term care. However, do your best to envision the coming decades of your life.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, it might be a good time for you to sign up for long-term care insurance:

• Do you have adequate resources to pay for long-term care expenses if needed?
• Do you want to preserve your assets and protect your loved ones from having financial burdens due to long-term care costs?
• Are you in good health and able to purchase a policy at the age limit for the insurance company you are considering?

This information can help you make the best decision for your long-term care needs.

Who Should Avoid Using This Type of Policy?

Despite having a large number of benefits, long-term care coverage is not for everybody. If you are already in a position where you cannot afford the monthly premiums, it's best to avoid purchasing this type of policy.

In addition, if your health status has drastically declined and the cost of coverage is too high, it might not make sense for you to invest in this type of insurance.

If you aren't quite sure about your situation, it's important to consult with a qualified financial advisor or an insurance professional who can help you find the right policy. They will be able to review your individual situation and give you the best advice for what's best for you.

What Are the Different Plans Available?

There are several types of LTC insurance plans available, including comprehensive, indemnity, and hybrid policies. Understanding the differences between these will help ensure that you make the decision that is best for you or your loved one.

Keep the details below in mind.

Comprehensive Policies

As the name suggests, comprehensive policies provide coverage for a wide range of services and qualifying expenses. This can include home health care, assisted living, nursing homes, etc.

You should note that these policies also have a higher premium. However, they offer greater flexibility and more coverage options. The cost of coverage is often outweighed by the benefits.

Indemnity Policies

Indemnity policies require you to pay for services upfront and then submit receipts to the insurance company for reimbursement. These plans typically provide coverage for home health care and assisted living, but not nursing homes.

Premiums are much lower than those associated with comprehensive plans. Indemnity policies are a good option for those who only need basic coverage and don't mind taking on the responsibility of submitting receipts to their insurance company.

Hybrid Policies

Hybrid policies combine traditional life insurance and annuities with LTC coverage. This type of policy allows you to access a portion of your death benefit early if needed for long-term care services.

It also helps to protect your money from taxation. To clarify, you can do so by allowing you to withdraw the death benefit before it is subject to taxes.

What Is a Policy Rider?

For those who are unfamiliar with this term, a policy rider is an add-on to your insurance policy that can increase coverage or provide additional benefits. It's important to read through the details of a policy's riders before signing up, as some may have limitations or exclusions that you need to be aware of.

When it comes to long-term care insurance, common riders include inflation protection and waiver of premiums. Inflation protection adjusts your benefits to keep up with the cost of inflation, while a waiver of premium allows you to skip paying your premiums for a certain period if you are unable to due to illness or injury.

Riders will usually come at an additional cost. However, they can be beneficial in providing more comprehensive coverage and greater flexibility for your policy. For instance, adding a waiver of premium rider can provide you with peace of mind should you be unable to pay your premiums due to illness.

How Are the Benefits Paid?

Typically, the benefits of LTC insurance policies are paid out directly to the policyholder or their designated representative.

However, some policies may require payment to be made through a third-party provider such as a nursing home or assisted living facility. It's important to understand this before signing up for any policy.

In general, though, the policyholder will receive payment either on a monthly or lump-sum basis. This allows them to choose how they wish to use their benefits and determine which type of coverage is best for them. You can get in touch with your provider to discuss the details of your policy.

How Do You Find the Right Policy?

There are key details about policies that you need to consider when moving forward. This will help you find the best coverage option for you.

Let's explore this in detail below so that you have the knowledge you need.

How Does the Policy Handle Pre-Existing Conditions?

It's crucial to find out how the policy handles pre-existing conditions before signing up. Some policies may not cover certain illnesses or treatments that existed prior to signing up for coverage.

However, providers have different criteria for what they will accept. Some insurance providers treat certain conditions differently. For example, a particular insurance provider might consider obesity to be a pre-existing condition. Unfortunately, this can sometimes make finding a policy difficult.

So, it's in your best interest to do your research until you find one who can work with you. This will allow you to get the most out of your plan.

Common pre-existing conditions that come into play include cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. These can all have a major impact on the coverage you receive and your ability to access benefits.

Do They Have Any Discounts?

Many insurance companies offer discounts and other incentives for people who sign up at an early age.

It’s always worth looking into these before enrolling in long-term care insurance coverage. In some cases, this could end up saving you thousands of dollars as time goes on. Keep in mind, though, that you may need to sign up notably longer than you will need access to your benefits.

Those who practice safe behavior (i.e. not smoking, living a healthy lifestyle) might also be able to find discounts when shopping for policies.

Do They Offer Shared Care?

Shared care is an option to consider if you have a spouse or family member who could benefit from the same policy. This allows for reduced premiums, as well as providing coverage for both parties.

When broken down, shared care functions by allowing one partner to use all of their benefits before the other can begin to access theirs. This is beneficial for those who are looking for additional coverage but cannot pay for two separate policies.

It can also provide additional peace of mind for those who have a spouse that may need benefits in the future.

What Are the Additional Costs?

It's important to factor in any potential additional expenses associated with long-term care insurance policies.

This can include riders, deductibles, coinsurance, and policy fees. Make sure to get a comprehensive view of all costs before signing up for any policy. These costs can quickly add up if you don't look into them.

What Is the Exclusionary Period?

The exclusionary period is the timeframe between when you sign up for the policy and when it starts to provide coverage. This will vary depending on the insurer, so be sure to read through your policy documents carefully.

Otherwise, you could be left without coverage during this period.

In general, the exclusionary period should not be longer than 90 days. During this time, any claims made will not be covered by the policy and will have to be paid out of pocket. This is to prevent people from signing up for coverage only once they need to use it and then immediately taking advantage of the benefits.

What Are the Level Benefits Vs Growth?

Level benefit policies provide a set amount of coverage that remains the same over time, while growth policies increase the coverage amount to keep up with inflation.

This can be an important factor in deciding which policy is right for you. Those who plan on using their policy for a long period of time may benefit from growth policies.

In contrast, those who plan on using the policy for a short period of time may benefit from level-benefit policies. A reputable insurance provider will be able to point you in the right direction.

You should also consider the rate at which inflation affects the cost of living when deciding which policy best suits your needs. To elaborate, inflation spiked to unprecedented levels over the past couple of years. If this occurs again in the future, level benefit policies may not provide adequate protection.

What Is a Typical Scenario When This Coverage Comes Into Effect?

Let's assume you are enrolled in a comprehensive policy and have been paying the monthly premiums. You then suffer an injury or illness that requires long-term care services.

In this situation, your policy would provide coverage for those services. This could include home health care, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, etc.

From there, you will need to submit a claim with the insurance company.

The insurer will then review the information and, if approved, begin paying out benefits for your long-term care services.

You can use these benefits to cover the costs associated with your long-term care.

This includes medications, medical services, and even living expenses such as room and board. Many people choose to use their benefits to pay for home health care or assisted living services, but the options are up to you.

If you have shared care, you and your spouse can both benefit from the same policy.

This means that if one of you is unable to pay for services, the other can use their benefits to help out. You won't have to worry about unused benefits or finding yourself in a situation where you don't have coverage.

What Happens if You Pass Away Before You Need Coverage?

In the event that you pass away before needing long-term care, your policy will still provide benefits to your beneficiary. This could include returns on premiums paid out, or a lump sum depending on policy specifics.

This makes it important to discuss these options with your insurer in order to understand what scenarios are covered and what the payout would be. To elaborate, your coverage will more or less function as a life insurance policy in this case.

Be sure to check with your provider about the terms of your policy. It's essential to understand exactly how a scenario like this will play out.

Let's assume that someone passes away after having paid premiums on their policy for many years. They may be able to provide some sort of financial benefit to their family, even if they never needed care themselves.

In the event that the spouse of the deceased was sharing the insurance plan, they will also be able to benefit from the coverage even after the death of their partner.

Understanding Long-Term Care Insurance Is Easier Than It Seems

Although long-term care insurance may seem complicated at first, it's not that difficult to understand. Once you have a better grasp of the different types of policies available and the costs associated with them, you'll be able to make an informed decision about LTC coverage and whether or not it's right for you.

Looking for more information on how we can help? Feel free to get in touch with us today to see what we can do.