Long-Term Care Insurance Policy

Long-term insurance policy best for everyone. "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,". I am sure Mark Twain wasn't thinking about Long-Term Care or today's news media when he said this long ago. Today it is very easy to place a news story for people to consume. Between traditional TV and radio, an expanded 24/7 news cycle with cable news there is a lot of information available. The biggest difference today, like the old days when anyone with a printing press could print anything they like, now you just need a computer to create a news story. It seems almost everyone has a computer or smart phone and they are not afraid to use it.

The topic of Long-Term Care has become a big one with an aging America. By 2030, 1 in 4 Americans will be over the age of 50. By 2050, 1 of every 5 Americans will be 65+ according to data from data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It seems like once you get around the age of 50 the conversation about Long-Term Care starts coming up. In today's world that means you hit the Internet and see what information you can find. However, some articles are providing misleading or even completely erroneous information on Long-Term Care Insurance.

We have heard the term fake news, but perhaps the best way to define what is being written about Long-Term Care is just "lazy news" or "advocacy news". It seems like everyone with a computer, including myself, has an agenda. How much of this is "truth" is a matter to discuss.

Generally, there is more to a story... and the stuff left out is usually very important. The stories about Long-Term Care insurance premium rate increases are very misleading. They usually leave out many details. The reporters or "professionals" writing these articles often have an agenda to push the public in one direction or another.

The other thing to remember is the Internet is also "old news" as nothing on the Internet usually gets deleted. You may find and read something that is old but that story may have been updated numerous times since the first story was published making the information you are reading outdated. You must do more due diligence today to see if you are getting accurate information.

Since the issue of planning for the financial costs and burdens of aging is so important to American families you should know the facts. Often the reason the articles talk about premium increases is to scare the consumer. Maybe the writer wants the government to pay for all long-term care (not going to happen as too many people require care and budgets are tight as it is trying to take care of those with little or no savings). Perhaps the writer wants to have the consumer spend large sums of money of certain type of financial product they are selling. The consumer should understand the truth, so they can plan in advance with more peace-of-mind.

These increases that are being reported are primarily on "legacy products" These are older plans that were priced well before the interest rate crash and rate stabilization regulations.

Today, all plans are priced with the very low interest rate environment in mind (interest rates have been low in the United States over the last decade). These older plans which had increases were based on a few factors:

· Interest rates

· Lapse rates (meaning, how many people drop their policies. In practice, very few do, but this was not factored into premium pricing on many older plans)

· Claims and underwriting experience

These policies are paying huge benefits as well. In 2017 over $9.2 billion was paid in benefits to American families protecting assets and easing family burden.

The fact is these older policies were under priced to start with and even with increases they still have outstanding value and huge benefits. Nobody likes an increase, but you must put that increase in perspective. Many of these people I speak with have huge benefits which have been increasing 5% compounded every year since they had the policy. Many have unlimited lifetime benefits as well. Since they have these huge benefits many can reduce the benefit or inflation factor to keep the premium the same. As their benefits increase far greater compared to the cost of long-term care they remain in an outstanding position.

Today's Long-Term Care insurance policies remain very affordable as people start purchasing plans prior to retirement. Underwriting is more conservative but since consumers are younger most people can still find an appropriate plan.

Experts say that the risks of increases are small but like anything there is always a chance of an approved increase. However, if you read some of the articles being published you would think the industry is dead and consumers no longer have any interest in the product.

The fact is there are still numerous insurance companies marketing Long-Term Care insurance. Consumer interest has never been greater. As I speak to other Long-Term Care Insurance specialists, like myself, we have all noticed a big increase in both consumer awareness and interest. Consumers are younger, more knowledgeable with the risks (often with first-hand experience with an elder parent or other family member) and we are bombarded with requests for information and quotes.

Consumers are seeking help from Long-Term Care specialists as most financial adviser and general insurance agents have limited knowledge and experience with the products, underwriting, policy design, benefit options and the federal/state partnership program which is available in most states. Therefore, some of these professionals push consumers into options they are more comfortable with despite the fact they might not be the best and most affordable way to address the costs and burdens of aging.

Long-Term Care Insurance, despite what you read, is very affordable for most people. With regulation and better pricing consumers enjoy additional peace-of-mind knowing they have a plan they can count on in the decades to come that will remain affordable once they retire and get older.

Many people can obtain outstanding coverage for under $150 a month, some even under $100. Premiums are based on your age at the time to get a plan, your health and the amount of benefits who wish to have. Most of the people I speak with nationwide are from ages 45 to 60.

A true Long-Term Care specialist will ask you numerous questions about your health, family history and retirement plans in order to make the proper recommendation. Anyone willing to give you "quotes" without asking very many questions should be avoided.

Long-Term Care insurance is custom designed. Plus, every insurance company has its own underwriting criteria. A true Long-Term Care specialist will represent most or all the major companies. They will have a keen understanding of underwriting and policy design. They should have processed many claims, so they have the first-hand knowledge of how these policies get used at the time of claim.

Finally, a real Long-Term Care specialist will not steer you to certain type of policy without spending time speaking with you to determine which type of plan fits your specific situation. Working with a Long-Term Care specialist will allow you to get the accurate information you seek. There are several reference websites for research:

LTC News offers articles and resources: http://www.ltcnews.com

US Department of Health and Human Services: https://longtermcare.acl.gov/

The main concern for most people is they understand care giving is hard. An older spouse can't be expected to be a caregiver without impact their own health. Adult children and their own families, careers and responsibilities. Paid care is expensive and drains savings and impacts lifestyle.

For many, Long-Term Care Insurance is easy, affordable, rate stable income and asset protection. It reduces the burdens which your aging will have on your family. However, speak with a true specialist. There are not many Long-Term Care specialists with extensive experience, but I help people nationwide and a number of others like myself do as well. Peoples protection.

Important Two Reason Get Long Term Healthcare Insurance

Likes to think about the time when we may feel so helpless and be dependent on others for care, and so the idea of purchasing long term healthcare insurance, especially when that time seems so far away, is something that is very easy to let slip to the bottom of our inbox.  But there are some very good reasons to begin thinking about this sooner than later.

Health Care Costs

Right now, the monthly median price for an Assisted Living Facility is about $3300.  But this is actually relatively low compared to other options.  The median monthly price for a semi-private to private nursing home is from $5900 to $7000. When you recognize that the median monthly income for a US family in 2012 was only $4170, it is crystal clear that having assistance for paying for these costs is critical.

In 2013, the median hourly rate of a home health aide was $19/hour.  However, the daily pricing for a private nursing home in 2013 is $230.  And these prices are median.  For yourself, you probably want something a bit more than "average"; you are likely concerned about getting the very best healthcare possible.  So making a choice in insurance that will enable high-quality care becomes important.

Family Burden

You likely place a high value on being able to have at least a degree of independence.  And after spending so much time and effort raising your children to be independent, self-sufficient adults, the idea of putting a large burden on them is almost certainly abhorrent to you.  But look at the costs noted above.  The simple fact of the matter is that the costs are so high, that what very often happens is that family members themselves have to adjust their lives dramatically to provide care for a family member, relative, or friend.  

As a matter of fact, right now 1 in 6 Americans are doing this.  Of these, 70 percent suffer work-related difficulties related to care giving, 5% turned down a promotion, 4 percent retired early, and 6 percent gave work up altogether.

It is certainly commendable when family members come together to help each other out when one is having a healthcare challenge.  This is all-too-often neglected, and many are too quick to simply "throw someone in a home."  But it must be admitted that there are times when skilled help is needed, and making sure that we have the financial resources that insurance provides.

Baby Boomers Long Term Care

To be frank, it is 7 years past the seniority age and 3 years shy from being a "septuagenarian" or a person in their 70's. The youngest would be in their 49's. Why bring up these groups of people and their ages? To ask the question "why should we get long term care for baby boomers?"

Basically, these groups of people have around 20 year range and can be classified under different categories. Those below 50 can still be considered "within their prime" whilst the ones hitting 60 and over are going to become "senior citizens". So, again, going back to the point, why are we bringing up these numbers for? So we can ask another question. "Who is taking care of these people?"

These ages, in all honesty, are considered old. Even those who are just entering their 50's, they are also considered old and with being old is the idea of being frail and helpless which is not always true. Some of these individuals can take care of themselves and continue with activities of daily living (ADLs) and sometimes, even take care of others, younger or of same age.

So there seems to be no issue here, right? Unfortunately, there still is. Surveys show that 3 or 4 out of 10 elder adults are incapable of performing ADLs due to physical immobility issues caused by physiological traumas like slip discs, osteoporosis and other medical conditions. 2 out of 10 suffer cognitive impairment and could not even tie their own shoelaces or put on their shirts.

Here is where long term care for baby boomers comes invaluable. It becomes a form of continuity of life. These baby boomers are entering a stage of their life where retirement is giving them a fear of being useless and seeing themselves as nothing but a burden to themselves and to their loved ones. Along with these physical incapacity's comes the unfortunate and dreaded depression.

To help them anticipate and fight against these fears, finding and signing up the ideal long term care (LTC) will help them prepare the future of their health plan and prevent these unfortunate conditions. Signing up is easy and all you need to do is locate a convenient LTC vendor near you. For any inquiries, LTC agents can help you clarify any questions regarding about the premiums, policies, rates and coverage.

Getting LTC for baby boomers is not only ideal but also practical. Who can say, maybe it is not you who is the baby boomer. It could be your mother or father, even your grandparents or anybody close to you and you want to give them another chance at life. Hitting the later years does not have to be the end of their existence.

Baby boomers have as much right to continue living and moving on despite older age.