Long Term Care Insurance in your Retirement Plan

Include long term care insurance in your retirement plan to protect your legacy from rising costs such as the nursing home, assisted living and in-home care.

Roughly 60% of those turning 65 can anticipate using some form of long term care in their lives, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. It may be a nursing home, assisted living, or in-home care.  Long term care insurance is a great way to cover those costs.

CNBC’s recent article, “Not having long-term care insurance can be ‘the single biggest devastator’ of your financial plan,” reports that over 8 million Americans have long term care insurance. However, the cost of that insurance is rising. This increase is because of several factors, including the fact that companies underpriced their policies for years and misjudged how many would drop coverage.

Because of those rising premiums, some individuals may choose self-insurance. That means saving a pool of money to earmark for long term care. Coverage is also available through Medicaid, which has eligibility requirements.

Even with these increases, you should consider purchasing some form of coverage. This is because not being insured can be the biggest devastator of a financial plan.

The rule of thumb has been to buy LTC coverage at age 55. However, it really depends on your situation. The big unknown is health, and the odds of being able to qualify for coverage at age 60, compared to age 30 or 40 is vastly different.  See here for a fuller description.  https://galligan-law.com/when-should-i-consider-long-term-care-insurance/

A traditional LTC policy will cover the costs of care for a certain period of time, generally up to six years. The amount of coverage is based on the average cost of care for your location. Most insurers offer it in the form of a monthly benefit, and possibly with some inflation protection.

There’s also a hybrid policy that covers long term care costs but becomes life insurance paid to heirs, if it’s not used. Of the 350,000 Americans who purchased long term care protection in 2018, 85% chose the hybrid coverage. It’s also called combo or linked-benefit. The big difference is price: you’ll pay more for the hybrid policy.

Medicaid is another option, particularly if you don’t have a way to save. To be eligible, you must meet financial guidelines.  Medicaid also looks back five years into your finances, so if you have given away any money during that period of time, it may be subject to penalty.

Long term care insurance is a great tool to address rising long term care costs in your retirement.  If you don’t have or can’t get a policy that’s right for you, an elder law attorney can help explore Medicaid or other benefit options to cover your long term care needs.

Reference: CNBC (October 14, 2019) “Not having long-term care insurance can be ‘the single biggest devastator’ of your financial plan”

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When Should I Consider Long Term Care Insurance?

Many people haven’t adequately planned for long term care costs. Consider long term care insurance early as a way to cover those costs.

You can bet that you won’t need long term care in your lifetime, but you’ll probably lose that bet: about 70% of seniors 65 and older require long term care at some point. That could be just a few months with a home health aide or it could mean a year (or more) of nursing home care. You can’t know for sure. However, without long term care insurance, you run the risk that you’ll be forced to cover a very large expense on your own.

The Motley Fool’s recent article, “75% of Older Americans Risk This Major Expense in the Future,” says many older workers are going into retirement without long term care coverage in place. In a recent Nationwide survey, 75% of future retirees aged 50 and over said they that don’t have long term care insurance. If that’s you, you should begin considering it, because the older you get, the more difficult it becomes to qualify, and the more expensive it becomes.

If you do not purchase long term are insurance, but need to pay for long term care, there are other options, such as government benefits like Medicaid.  I’ll focus on insurance in this article, but see here for more information about long term care and how to pay for it.  https://galligan-law.com/long-term-care-whats-it-all-about/

Long term care insurance can be costly, which is why many people don’t buy it. However, the odds are that your policy won’t be anywhere near as expensive as the actual price for the care you could end up needing. That’s why it’s important to look at your options for long term care insurance. The ideal time to apply is in your mid-50s. At that age, you’re more likely to be approved along with some discounts on your premiums. If you wait too long, you’ll risk being denied or seeing premiums that are prohibitively expensive.

Note that not all policies are the same. Therefore, you should look at what items are outside of your premium costs. This may include things such as the maximum daily benefit the policy permits or the maximum time frame covered by your policy. It should really be two years at a minimum. There are policies written that have a waiting period for having your benefits kick in and others that either don’t have one or have shorter time frames. Compare your options and see what makes the most sense.

You don’t necessarily need the most expensive long term care policy available. If you’ve saved a good amount for retirement, you’ll have the option of tapping your IRA or 401(k) to cover the cost of your care. The same is true if you own a home worth a lot of money, because you can sell it or borrow against it.

It’s important to remember to explore your options for long term care insurance, before that window of opportunity shuts because of age or health problems. Failing to secure a policy could leave you to cover what could be a devastatingly expensive bill.

Reference: Motley Fool (September 23, 2019) “75% of Older Americans Risk This Major Expense in the Future”

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What to Know About Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Continuing Care Retirement Communities are great residential options for some, but have many pros and cons to consider when planning your long term care.

With all the different types of residential options for seniors today, it is easy to get confused by the terminology. If you are trying to decide which choice is right for you or your loved one, you need to evaluate several kinds of arrangements. Here is what you need to know about continuing care retirement communities.

A continuing care retirement community (a “CCRC”) offers a continuum of care, from independent living for people who need no assistance, to assisted living that offers some services, to nursing home care that provides skilled nursing care. A person or couple usually move into the level they need, with the option to move to either more independence or more services as their needs change.  See here for more information on different options and how to pay for them.  https://galligan-law.com/practice-areas/elder-law/

The benefit of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is you do not have to move to a different facility when you need more medical attention or if your health improves. You would have to move to a different part of the community, that is usually in a separate building. However, all levels of care are at one campus or physical location.

The drawbacks of CCRC include:

  • These facilities tend to be more expensive than stand-alone centers. There is usually a sizeable entrance fee, ranging from $10,000 to $500,000.
  • The monthly expenses of living in a CCRC make these facilities out of range for low-income and most middle-income seniors. On top of the rent, there is a monthly maintenance fee that can range from $200 to more than $2,000.
  • There might not be a vacancy in the section to which you want to move, so you might have to go on a waiting list or move out of the CCRC to get the level of care you need. If you move out, you can lose the entrance fee you paid.
  • Usually, you do not own the place where you live, even though you might pay more than the market value of the building.

On the other hand, CCRCs have advantages, like:

  • A broader range of activities and services than stand-alone facilities.
  • Getting to stay close to the friends you have at the CCRC, when your needs change.
  • More options for independent living, like apartments, houses, duplexes and townhomes.
  • The CCRC arrangement creates a social network and helps residents get through grief when a spouse passes. Residents of CCRCs tend to have less social isolation and higher activity levels as widows or widowers, than people who live in single-family homes that are not part of a CCRC.
  • Because CCRCs have so many ongoing activities and the facilities include a range of opportunities for physical exercise, like swimming, yoga, tennis, golf, walking and dance, seniors in these communities tend to stay healthy and socially engaged.
  • Many CCRCs have barbers, hairdressers, grocery stores, coffee shops and retail shops onsite for the convenience of residents.
  • You can tailor your services to your desires. One resident might only want lawn care and snow removal. Another person might want housekeeping, meal preparation and transportation.

Make sure that you get detailed written information about all the costs for each service the CCRC offers and for all levels of care. Get the facility to tell you in writing what happens to your entrance fee, if you move from the facility.  You also want to make sure that your estate plan addresses any potential refunds of the entrance fee if you pass away as they often become probate assets without proper planning.

Compare at least three CCRC developments, if you decide that a CCRC is the option you prefer and can afford.

References:

A Place for Mom. “Continuing Care Retirement Communities.” (accessed August 21, 2019) https://www.aplaceformom.com/planning-and-advice/articles/continuing-care-retirement-communities

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