5 Tips on Deciding Whether to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance

One of the most difficult decisions in long-term care planning is whether to purchase long-term care insurance (LTCI) and which of the wide variety of products to purchase.

The Cons of Long-Term Care Insurance

• LTCI premiums are high
• They may be raised in the future
• If you are purchasing policies in your 50s and 60s, the need is probably many decades in the future

The Pros of Long-Term Care Insurance

• Many are saved by their LTCI
• You can choose your own care setting rather than rely on what is covered by Medicaid in your state
• Hiring necessary help doesn't mean dipping into your savings
• You can protect an inheritance for their children and grandchildren

Can You Afford LTCI? Can You Self-Insure?

There are a few rules of thumb that can help determine whether you are in the target market for LTCI. You need to have enough savings and income to afford the premiums but not so much that you can easily pay your costs of care. If you are a couple whose net worth is more than $1 million but less than $3 million or a single person with half these amounts, you are a candidate for LTCI. (Some LTCI brokers will tell you that there's no upper limit since even wealthy people may prefer to use LTCI rather than dip into their savings.) You could also look at this from the point of view of income. If you can pay the premiums without affecting your style of living or dipping into savings, then you can afford LTCI.

Making Your Decision

Unless your financial situation is likely to change in the future, the best time to purchase LTCI is now. Every year you wait, you will face higher premiums and run the risk that a health care event will make you ineligible for LTCI.

Ask Yourself These Questions

First, if you or your spouse were to need care at home, would you be reasonably comfortable using up some of your savings to pay for care? Or would you become your spouse's caregiver instead to save funds or preserve an inheritance for children and grandchildren? Would you feel worse having paid premiums over the years for insurance you did not use, or paying out-of-pocket for care that could have been covered by insurance?

Use an LTCI specialist

LTCI is one of the most complicated insurance products available, with policies offering a variety of benefit levels and conditions for payment. Some insurance companies have raised premium rates on existing policies while others have not. Some honor claims readily, and others have put up difficult roadblocks. And there is a proliferation of hybrid policies that merge LTCI with life insurance. You need someone who specializes in the field to guide you through all of these options.

You may have noticed that this article hasn't addressed actual insurance policies and benefit choices. In part, this is because you need an expert. But before meeting with the expert, do a little of your own research. Start by reading a collection of articles on LTCI, such as Questions to Ask Before Buying Long-Term Care Insurance and How Much Long-Term Care Insurance Should You Purchase?

While these tips won't completely eliminate the difficult decision that all baby boomers are facing, we hope that this framework will help focus its consideration. To learn more, consult with an elder law attorney in your area.