The Need for Long-Term Care Insurance

More than 70% of seniors 65 and over will need some type of long-term care in their lifetime. This could be a few months of home health aide assistance or years in an assisted living facility or nursing home. Unfortunately, Medicare won't pay for long-term care, which means the majority of seniors could have some very big bills.

Motley Fool’s recent article entitled “Only 16% of Older Americans Have Made This Smart Retirement Move” says that’s the reason why it's critical to secure long-term care insurance. Your 50s are generally when it’s considered to be the best time to apply. At that point, you're not signing up to pay premiums for too long, but you're also more likely to get approved for a policy and get a discount on its cost based on your health. However, research from TD Ameritrade found that just 16% of Americans in their 50s have a long-term care policy.

Many seniors don't know just how expensive long-term care is, until they actually need it. Medicare generally doesn’t cover this because its’ considered custodial care, another term for non-medical assistance. Medicare will pay for seniors to recuperate from injury or illness, but often, the need for long-term care isn’t a result of that situation.

A long-term care insurance policy isn't cheap. Your premium costs will depend on a number of factors, such as your age at the time of your application, the state of your health and the specific amount of coverage you want.

For example, a 55-year-old man in New Jersey applying today could receive a benefit of $150 per day for up to two years. Let’s say that he ends up spending two years in an assisted living facility that costs $150 per day.

That’s going to total $109,500. Assume you also pay an annual premium of $1,195.43 for 20 years to obtain that benefit, for a total of $23,908.60. Even with the large amount of money you'll end up paying in premiums, it’s nothing when compared to the $109,500 you might otherwise be required to shell out for your care.

It's impossible to predict whether you'll need long-term care, but if you'd rather not risk bankrupting your estate and yourself, look at a policy. Even though it’s ideal to apply while you’re in your 50s, you may qualify for affordable coverage in your 60s. Therefore, despite the preferred application window being closed, it may be beneficial to see what options are available to you now.

Reference:  Motley Fool (Jan. 25, 2020) “Only 16% of Older Americans Have Made This Smart Retirement Move”