Long Term Care Options
Many baby boomers are considering whether or not to buy long term care insurance. Unfortunately, most choose not to purchase coverage leaving their loved ones at risk of being financially devastated if long term care should be necessary. While the odds of requiring long term care services are significant – more than 70% of Americans over the age of 65 will need long term care services at some point in their lives – most seniors are under the mistaken impression that they will never need it.
A. The Danger of Denial
At nearly $9,000.00 per month for nursing home care, approximately $4,500.00 to $5,500.00 per month for an assisted living or $25.00 per hour for in-home care, few seniors can afford the cost of long term care services for an extended period of time. With Medicaid benefits generally available only after a person’s assets are spent down, it is a risky strategy for seniors to live in denial that long term care services will not be needed.
B. Problems With Long Term Care Insurance
Most people don’t consider buying long term care insurance until they are well into their late sixties or seventies. By then, due to health reasons, it is often too expensive or they can’t qualify. Furthermore, for traditional long term care insurance, a common complaint is that if long term care is never needed, the premiums that were paid are lost.
C. Options to Consider
Life insurance or annuity contracts with long term care benefits can be attractive alternatives to traditional long term care insurance. These so called hybrid policies provide long term care coverage – including not only nursing home coverage, but also in-home or assisted living care - if such coverage should be necessary. If long term care is not needed (or it is needed only for a short period of time), the policies are paid to the beneficiaries following the death of the owner.
D. Poor Planning
Many people are unaware of these options or simply choose to live in denial. Unfortunately, the most common strategy is to do nothing and when a crisis happens, rapidly spend down assets in an attempt to qualify for Medicaid or possibly Veterans benefits. What a risky and often unnecessary strategy. After all, who wants to deplete their assets to qualify for Medicaid, spend the last months or years of their life in a nursing home and possibly leave their loved ones in financial ruin? To protect yourself and your family, be sure to consult with an experienced elder law attorney.
This blog post is written by Brett A. Howell, Certified Elder Law Attorney. The blog is written as a service of The Elder and Estate Planning Law Firm, P.L.L.C. This information is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For a consultation to address specific questions, please call (810) 953-3846.
