Which common policy terms should I compare when purchasing long-term care insurance?
Long-term care insurance policies are not standardized from insurer to insurer, and thus the policies differ in many ways. There are, however, key provisions used across the board by Florida long-term care insurers. The American Health Care Association specifies that, in Florida:
-“Long term care policies… may cover at least 24 months of skilled, intermediate or custodial nursing home coverage supervised or recommended by a doctor.”
– “Long term care policies or certificates must provide at least one lower level of care, such as home health care or adult day care. The benefits for this lower level of care must have at least half the benefits of the nursing home care, in both the benefit period and the benefit amount.”
Beyond these, common policy points to be considered when comparing long-term care insurance policies include the following:
-Reimbursement levels
-Covered services
-Daily benefit amount
-Benefit period
-Payment options
-Inflation protection
Online, one can find many useful tools to help ensure that you are taking all relevant factors into consideration when purchasing long-term care insurance. Some of these tools include the free Long Term Care Partners, LLC “Benefits and Features Worksheet,” as well as the website for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. An FAQs sheet from the state agency regarding Medicaid can be found here: https://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/ltc_partnership_program/pdfs/Florida_LTCP_FAQs_7-26-11.pdf.
