"Long term care is the single biggest
threat to whatever wealth an older person has."
Generations, American Society on Aging 9/96
What are my chances of needing long term care?
"One in three Americans
currently 65 will enter a nursing home,
for two to three years on average."
Fortune Magazine 10/14/96
This breaks down for 52% of women and 30% of men.
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Can you afford to pay for this care yourself?
Do you plan to use your life savings or perhaps apply to welfare for help?
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Doesn't Medicare take care of this?
According to the 1998 Medicare Guide published by the U. S. Government:
Medicare will pay your first 20 days of nursing
home care in full,
as long as you are hospitalized first then referred there by a doctor.
They then pay all but $95.50 per day for the next 80 days of care.
It's up to you or your insurance to pay the rest.
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What does a long term care insurance policy cover?
Your long term care plan should pay you a set amount per day
to be used to pay costs in a nursing home,
assisted care facility, or for home health care services.
A licensed long term care specialist can help you determine
the appropriate daily amount to suit your own, personal needs.
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What if costs rise before we need to use the insurance? Will it still be enough?
A good ltc policy is equipped with a feature
called "inflation protection."
This guarantees that your amount of coverage
will increase each year to counter the rising costs due to inflation.
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