Income Tax Rates

Long term care is used by both the elderly and those who are disabled in some way that prevents them from taking care of themselves. It's not an eventuality people expect and ever so many don't include it in their existing insurance policies. But knowing that you could relieve the burden on friends and family, wouldn't you take that opportunity if you could?

Becoming dependent on others can happen suddenly or gradually. Many healthy people take for granted the simple ability to dress one's self, to bathe alone, to go to the bathroom on their own. However, these are the sorts of things that one relies on long term care for, along with medical procedures and other forms of care.

Even in the best countries, the government is not prepared to handle the growing population of people who require long-term care. Even in areas of the world considered more progressive when it comes to health care, like Europe, the burden of caring for the elderly or disabled is shouldered by younger family members or dear friends.

Different medical programs in the United States cover long-term care in different ways. Medicaid requires eligibility, meaning that a person's finances and other resources are taken into consideration before their long term care will be covered. Medicare itself does not cover what is called custodial care, nor does it cover care provided by non-medical skilled personnel. However, at least in this respect several Nordic countries are ahead of the U. S. By providing long-term care givers with some sort of financial recompense as well as pension plans where appropriate. Family and friends in these countries can expect compensation for their noble efforts in caring for others.

Of the twelve million Americans who are in the long term care system, five million are work-aged adults no longer able to care for themselves. Not everyone experiencing long-term care is elderly, though that is obviously the vast majority. Most people are caught unprepared by a worst case scenario, and long term care is the furthest thing from their minds. But while insuring your house, your car, your life, why not consider insurance to cover future long term care, should it become relevant?

Three things should be kept in mind when considering long term care insurance. One is that the sooner you start planning for it, the better. Older adults are healthy enough to pass any required medical exams, and yearly premiums will be lower than if they start planning later. A second thing to consider is that the annual premiums will not rise should a later health condition arise. They will be locked in. The third thing to keep in mind when considering this type of insurance is that there is an elimination period just before your policy starts to cover your long term care. For sixty to ninety days, depending on the policy, you will not be covered and someone will need to pay for the stay, which can be up to or more than $150 a day.

The number of elderly people is growing. This is natural, given how many different ways there are of prolonging someone's life. However, the population of people in long term care is also growing. Consider planning for the future, for both the best possibilities and the worst. Putting the right amount of money into the right type of insurance will not bring about the worst case scenario any sooner, and it's so much better to be safe than sorry.