Is Long Term Care Insurance a Good Idea?
Posted by Jerrold Bartholomew on March 4, 2008
This article provides some preliminary answers to an important question for today’s retirees and elderly: Is long term care insurance a good idea?
In general, I advise clients to get long term care insurance. The effects of being unprepared for this financial tsunami are too overwhelming to do otherwise. But be careful and be informed.
Among your first questions should be the extent of the coverage and the anticipated premium schedule. It is not uncommon to see nursing home care costs increase 10% or more in a single year. It is therefore important to understand how much coverage is needed and how much adequate coverage will cost.
Once you have that information, consider this: a properly drafted and funded asset protection plan will give you all of the benefits of your assets, but fully protect them from the cost of long term care after five years. When you look at the premiums, the escalation of long term care costs, and the uncertainty of the future, an asset protection estate plan combined with 5 years of long term care insurance makes the most sense for many people.
