Long-term care is when a person needs someone to care for them because they cannot manage a number of daily living activities on their own any longer and it is envisaged that this will happen for the foreseeable future. It comprises of help with daily living activities such as washing, dressing or eating and can take place in the home or in a residential or nursing care home.
Quiet often a stroke or heart attack happens without warning resulting in the need for immediate long term care. Other symptoms such as Alzheimer’s disease can develop more slowly requiring increasing levels of care.
How does a long term care insurance policy work? Basically this is a lump sum insurance plan that guarantees a regular payment to help pay for life care. The purchase price is progressively cheaper relative to adverse health and older age unlike life insurance which is progressively less costly due to younger age and better health.
When a person dies, the income stops and the care plan purchase price is non refundable unless there is some form of capital protection against early demise.
Long term care insurance plan premiums are calculated based on the individual’s life expectancy. this is forecast by reference to medical information provided by the person’s family doctor. Also insurance companies endeavour to speak to care home staff for an up to date hands on assessment. The cost of a care plan is less relative to correspondingly deteriorating health and frailty.
The amount of long term care insurance payments required is determined by the monthly cost of care less the person’s state pension, benefits and other income such as private pensions. The balance required to meet the care fees bill is the shortfall. It is this regular shortfall that can be paid for life by payment of a once only lump sum to an insurance company. It is possible to pay extra to make sure that the benefits increase each year in line with rising care costs.
When arranging the annuity, it is a good idea to ask the care provider about the history of price increases so that this can be taken into account when arranging the level of benefits required. Better still ask the care provider if they will agree to fixed annual fee increases at say 5% in return for direct increasing payments into their account.
Obviously, if the care costs rise above the cover of insurance bought there could be a further shortfall but, to all intents and purposes this is usually manageable from other savings, unless the level of care required has altered drastically. In this case, a further review of the situation should be done before parting with more funds. For example, the care needs may have escalated to the point of the person becoming eligible for free personal care known as ‘continuing care’.
long term care plans have a significant tax saving benefit in that there is no tax liabilty on the person in care when benefits are payable direct to a registered care provider.
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