4 Things You Will Want to Have in a Long Term Care Insurance Policy

1. Inflation Protection: Get a policy that raises your long term care benefit amount automatically… the cost of a nursing home today will be much higher 20-30 years from now.

2. Variable Coverage: Make sure your policy includes coverage for not only nursing homes but home health aids, adult day care providers, and assisted living facilities so you will have a choice of care.

3. Independent Care Management: If you have a claim, the insurance company will send a representative to determine your benefit needs… make sure your policy gives you the option to have an independent licensed health care provider to manage your care and not someone working for the insurance company.

4. 70% Minimum Daily Benefit: If you need services, don’t just choose the cheapest daily benefit amount but find out what is the average daily cost of nursing homes in your area and request at least 70% of that. Also, make sure this amount is adjusted annually to reflect 70% of the current yearly amount.

Estimating Your Long Term Care Projected Costs and Insurance Premiums: Long term care costs can vary depending on what state you live in and the nursing facility or home care staff you choose. It is good to know what long term care facilities are charging in your area so you can get an idea of the benefit amount you would like for your long term care insurance policy. Genworth Financial long term care website offers an interactive map where you can scroll over your state to get an idea of current annual nursing home and assisted living costs. You can also simply pick up the phone book and call local nursing home facilities and ask them what their annual costs are.

When it comes to long term care premiums, that can vary greatly depending on the type of policy you choose, the age that you choose to start your policy, and the benefit amount. Of course the younger and healthier you are when you start your policy then the lower your premiums will be. Also, the lower your benefit amount is, then the lower your premiums will be. So, the best time to check into long term care insurance is now, before you get any older! Although it is best to try not to cut corners when choosing your long term care benefits, there are additional ways to reduce your long term care premium costs.

Where and How to Purchase Long Term Care Insurance: There are many places that you can purchase long term care insurance. Your employer may offer group long term care insurance. You can also purchase long term care insurance from individual insurance companies or agents. If you or a family member has or does work for the federal or state government then you may be able to purchase a long term care insurance policy from those sources. Also, another place to look for long term care insurance policies are associations or membership groups.