How long-term care can help you.
Long-term care insurance typically covers the cost of:
- Help in your home with daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating and cleaning.
- Community programs, such as adult day care.
- Assisted living services that are provided in a special residential setting other than your own home. These services may include meals, health monitoring, and help with daily activities.
- Visiting nurses.
- Care in a nursing home.
When is the right time to buy a policy?
Many people don't think about long-term care until they get into their 70s and 80s and their health begins to fail. At these ages, you may be too high a risk for an insurer to cover you; or if you do qualify, the premiums can be astronomical. In fact, some long-term care policies have restrictions on age and health status.
The best time to buy long-term care insurance may be middle-age. It's the time when you have the highest likelihood of being eligible for a policy and, just as important, when premiums costs might be lower.
Is a policy right for you?
Long-term care insurance is probably not for everyone, but-with soaring health care costs, insurers increasingly restricting coverage and eligibility, and people's need to stretch retirement savings through more years-it's a good idea to consider it seriously. Your goals should be to protect your assets, minimize your dependence on other family members, and control where and how you receive long-term care services.
On the other hand, consider the cost. Long-term care insurance is expensive. An individual who's 65 years old and in good health can expect to pay between $2,000 and $3,000 a year for a policy that covers nursing home care and home care, with premiums adjusted for inflation. You may not want to buy a policy if the cost of premiums will lower your standard of living or force you to give up other things you need right now. And look ahead, as well. Be sure you'll be able to afford the premiums if your income declines.
Long-Term Care
Health Savings Accounts
You can use this account to pay for your qualified health expenses, including expenses that the plan ordinarily doesn’t cover, such as eyeglasses and hearing aids.
Expenses paid out of the HSA that are eligible expenses under your high-deductible health plan will count toward the plan’s deductible.
