There are quite a few services covered with long term health care insurance. You should know what services are covered for two reasons: the first is to help you decide whether you should get a long term care policy, and the second is to help you know what is covered so that you can prepare for the future by getting the right policy for your needs.
Long Term Care Services That May Be Covered
You may find coverage for a wide variety of long term care needs served by licensed home health care agencies and non licensed care providers. Licensed services include: LPN's or licensed practical nurses; speech, physical, or occupational therapists, or other licensed home health care aides. Non licensed services include: non licensed home health care aides, home makers, cleaning services, and other daily living service providers.
Payment to family members for these services is typically not allowed, so make sure to check with your agency or insurance company if this is one the options you are considering.
To summarize, services that are typically covered with long term care insurance policies include: services and care provided in community facilities, adult day care centers, assisted living facilities, personal care and home health care in your home, and nursing home care. Not all facilities are covered by every long term policy, it is important that you check into your current carrier or potential carrier if you shopping around for coverage.
What Services Are Not Covered?
Again, there is no exact list of services or types of facilities that are or are not covered by any long term care policy. It is up to you to do your due diligence to determine what is or isn’t covered when you are shopping for a policy. If you already have a long term care insurance policy and you do not know what is covered by your policy then you should find out. By finding out, you may be able to make a change to your policy if you find you want coverage for something that isn’t covered by your current policy before it is too late. You may find that you will have to roll your current policy into another policy to get the coverage that you want.
In general, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, long term care needed for alcohol or drug addiction, illness or injury caused by an act of war, intentionally self inflicted injuries (including injuries from attempted suicide), government provided in a government installation or facility medical treatment, or mental disorders and illnesses other than Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia.
The Bottom Line About What Is or Is Not Covered With Long Term Care Insurance
The best way to get your questions answered for what is exactly covered is to check with the insurance carrier directly or with your insurance agent. If you decide to go with an agent, try to find an agent who represents more than one company. In this way, they can find specifics about more than one company's policies. This will allow you to get the most information possible as you decide what kind of policy you want, or whether you need one at all.
Article Written By Grandma Suzie. Grandma Suzi has spent her life saving money so that she always had enough to go around. She writes about topics that interest senior citizens. Visit Grandma Suzie's Blog
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