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Phoenix, AZ

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A non-profit organization with videos, articles and other resources to help you learn and make decisions about the use of insurance in planning.
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  Long-Term Care
First lady Rosalynn Carter said it best.........

"There are four kinds of people in the world....."

  • Those who have been caregiviers
  • Those who are currently carefivers
  • Those who will be caregivers
  • and those who will need caregivers

The truth is that women may find themselves filling each of these cataegories far more often than men.

Companies We Represent

  • Met Life
  • Prudential
  • Allianz
  • John Hancock
  • MedAmerica
  • Mutual of Omaha

Long term care insurance should be a part of everyone's investment strategy for many reasons both personal and financial and the sooner you incorporate it into your planning the less it will cost you over time.

Long-term care refers to the many services needed by people with disabilities or chronic (long-lasting) illnesses. Depending on the policy, coverage includes:

  • At home help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing. Most people on claim with a long term care insurer are receiving benefits in their home.
  • Community programs such as adult day care.
  • Assisted living facilities that provide meals, health monitoring, and help with daily activities within a special residential setting outside of the home.
  • Full nursing home care.

40% of people receiving long term care benefits are working age adults.

The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's, the Emmy-Award documentary on Alzheimer's disease funded by MetLife Foundation is now available to watch online by clicking here. 
 The Forgetting features the first-hand experiences of people with Alzheimer's and their families, provides insights from the scientific community and looks at the looming epidemic. The updated, interactive website, www.pbs.org/theforgetting, provides resources, support and materials for Alzheimer's patients, their families and caregivers. The Forgetting is an extension of MetLife Foundation's 25-year commitment to the fight against Alzheimer's.  The program helps people understand the nature of this debilitating disease and its impact on all of us. 

Important long term care links:

 Own Your Future  Probably the best single discussion of long term care and all of the options for making your plan. Order your free kit or download the PDF format booklet and individual audio files included in the kit. Can't wait? Call us to get a kit now!

Evaluating Your Options is the National Clearinghouse for Long Term Care information site hosted by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Long Term Care Planning Washington State DSHS Long Term Care home page.

Long Term Care Calculator  Here are some numbers that we ran to see what some of the alternatives were to insurance. Different people would generate different numbers but the conclusion is pretty much the same. You need to plan ahead.

NextSteps As if planning for long term care wasn't difficult enough, you need to understand the legal system and what kind of impact that might have on you and your family should you need care. NextSteps is probably one of the easiest to access sources for that information that I have found. The $7.00 fee to join is well worth the money. You need to understand how Medicaid works, what terms like "countable asset" and "community spouse" mean and how that might affect your estate or financial plan. If your retirement or estate planning haven't taken this into account then you to start working on this NOW!.

MyZiva has information about the one place you probably never want to be, a nursing home. It happens more often than we like to think, though, and it could happen to you. No matter how much your family wants to and no matter what lengths they may go to keep you out of one, sometimes they have to let go. What do you know about the nursing homes in your area? What kind of questions should you ask and who should you turn to for advice? Here is a great place to get started.

Downloads

Long Term Care Legislation Congress Considered in 2007

1 . Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Improvement Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.562.IH]
2 . Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Improvement Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate)[S.338.IS]
3 . South Texas Veterans Access to Care Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.538.IH]
4 . United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) (Introduced in House)[H.R.676.IH]
5 . Retirement Security Education Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.531.IH]
6 . Healthy Americans Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.334.IS]
7 . Access to Affordable Health Care Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.158.IS]
8 . Small Business Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.46.IH]
9 . Nursing School Clinics Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate)[S.54.IS]
10 . Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.227.IH]
11 . Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate)[S.464.IS]
12 . Kids Come First Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate)[S.95.IS]
13 . Fair Tax Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.25.IH]

10 Truths about Long Term Care

  1. LTCi is about your family, not you. It affects families and communities not just you. This protection provides the dollars so your family can get help for you--preferably at your home. LTCi does not replace what families do. Instead, it builds on family support and allows them to provide the care better and longer.

  2. LTCi provides peace of mind to those who need long term care and to their families.

  3. LTC costs are high both now and in the future. Think about the cost of care in 20-30 years from now. The purchase of a LTC policy today solves a million-dollar LTCi problem in the future.

  4. Medicaid reform is here to stay. The message from both federal and state governments is very clear--if you have assets to protect--depending on the government welfare programs is not a viable option.

  5. It's better to create a plan 10 years too soon than one day too late. And even more significant, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the less you will pay over the life of the policy.

  6. Get over your denial that this will never happen to me. Please talk to your families and have a plan!

  7. LTCi allows you to leave a legacy by protecting your children's inheritance.

  8. LTCi is a gift to your children. These funds will enable them to care for an aging parent without overwhelming their lives. How will your planning--or lack thereof--affect your family?

  9. LTCi can improve quality of life through support programs that promote aging in place. Think of this policy as nursing home avoidance policy. It gives you control, so you can age and receive care in the least restrictive environment possible.

  10. Long term care is expensive, so paying for it on your own out of income or assets poses a serious threat to your retirement and financial plans.

Caregivers who received counseling and support were able to keep their Alzheimer's-stricken spouses at home about 329 days longer than those caregivers who were left to their own coping devices. The caregivers receiving this support also reported feeling less depressed. Source: Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Col. 59, Pg. P27

Want to get information about long term care insurance costs: Get Quote

Published Articles on Long Term Care

  • Thirteen million baby boomers are caring for ailing parents, and 25% live with them. Senior Journal.com, "Thirteen Million Baby Boomers Care for Ailing Parents, 25% Live with Parents," October 19, 2005.
  • The national average for long term care is close to $70,000 per year. Georgetown University, Long-Term Care Financing Project, "National Spending for Long-term Care Fact Sheet," January 2007.

  • The average hourly rate for a home health aide is $25. Based on this rate, four hours of home health aide services daily would total about $36,500 a year. Georgetown University, Long-Term Care Financing Project, "National Spending for Long-term Care Fact Sheet," January 2007.

  • Long-term care costs are expected to double by the year 2025 and nearly quadruple by 2050. "Medicaid in Crisis: Could Long Term Care Partnerships Be Part of the Solution?" Testimony by Senator Larry Craig, 2004 committee chairman, before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, June 22, 2004.

  • Medicaid covers approximately half of the nation's nursing home expenses, you must first deplete the vast majority of your assets to qualify. The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. "Myths & Facts, Medicaid's Role In Long Term Care, Q&A Fact Sheet." Cited September 26, 2006.

  • There are 10 million people who need long-term care today. "Long-Term Care Financing: Are Americans Prepared?" Testimony by Senator Herb Kohl, 2006 committee chairman, before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Committee chairman, March 9, 2006.

  • Because women generally outlive men by several years, they face a greater likelihood of entering a nursing home after age 65. AARP, Policy & Research for Professionals in Planning, 2005.

 

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