Long-Term Care Insurance Offers More Than Just Nursing Home Coverage

By Tsuneko Nakatani

New York Life Insurance Company and New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation

The first image that often comes to mind when people think about long-term care is an elderly person sitting alone in a depressing nursing home. The misconceptions about what long-term care involves and peoples’ images of the most common care settings are understandable, since long-term care insurance originally started as nursing home insurance four decades ago. However, it has evolved into a much more flexible solution that allows you to receive care in a variety of settings.

Most of us want the ability to age at home, in a familiar setting surrounded by family and our favorite things. The fact is, 90 percent of adults who need long-term care services receive assistance at home or in another community setting¹.

If the level of care you need evolves over time, most long-term care insurance policies not only allow you to transition to a nursing home, but some may also provide you with support during the transition. Since you can’t predict the care you might eventually need, it’s important to have the flexibility to choose the setting that best fits your needs at any given time.

Many long-term care policies available today can provide you with a choice of where you want to receive care, including:

• At home, with the help of a home health aide or in some cases a family member or friend to assist with daily activities
• In a community setting, such as adult day care services
• At an assisted living facility, where you can receive help with transportation and meals
• In a nursing home, if you need around-the-clock care

Each of these options provides a different level of care depending on how much assistance you need. Receiving care at home is the most popular and preferred option, and some policies even provide benefits that allow you to make home modifications that can help you stay at home longer. Policies that provide home care allow you to receive care from a professional, or possibly a friend or family member if informal care is covered.

While most people hope they won’t ever need to worry about long-term care, the reality is more than half of Americans will need long-term care assistance after age 65².  Women are even more at risk, primarily because they tend to live longer. The thought of not being able to care for yourself can be difficult and creating a plan for care can be daunting. However, it’s best to not let long-term care planning get pushed aside, because your age and health both factor into whether you’ll qualify for insurance and how much you’ll pay for coverage.

By including long-term care in your retirement planning, you’ll have the peace of mind that you’ve taken the steps to help protect your family from the financial and emotional impact of a long-term care event. Take the time to research available options, decide how much coverage you need based on estimated costs, and create a plan that will give you the flexibility to choose where and how you receive care. If you need additional information, contact a New York Life agent to find out more about our solutions.

1. Edem Hado and Harriet Komisar, “Long-Term Services and Supports.” AARP Public Policy Institute. August 2019
2. Melissa Favreault and Judith Dey, “Long-term services and supports for older Americans: Risks and financing research brief.” Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. February 2016

This educational, third-party article is provided as a courtesy by TSUNEKO NAKATANI, CPA, MBA, Agent, (CA Insurance Lic #0I69621/AR Insurance Lic. #17143316) New York Life Insurance Company. To learn more about the information or topics discussed, please contact Tsuneko Nakatani at tnakatani@ft.newyorklife.com or 10885 NE 4th Street, Suite 1400, Bellevue, WA 98004.

The purpose of this material is solicitation of individual insurance. An insurance agent may contact you. Policy forms ICC16-316-60P & ICC16-316-284R, ICC16-316-150P & ICC16-316-283R, 316-60P & 316-284R, 316-150P & 316-283R & ICC13314-60, 314-60, 898-60, and any state-specific, are issued by New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation, Newark, DE, a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. Policy forms ICC18-LTCD PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCDNC PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCDNC-U PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCD-U PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCWP PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCWPNC PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCWPNC-U PLCY (0218), ICC18-LTCWP-U PLCY (0218), LTCD PLCY (0218), LTCD-U PLCY (0218), LTCWP (0218), ICC14-LTC6, LTC6, LTC6-U, and any state-specific, are issued by New York Life Insurance Company, New York, NY. These products have exclusions and limitations. Underwriting approval is required to purchase coverage and a medical exam may be required. The company reserves the right to increase premiums in the future. For cost and complete details of the coverage, contact your agent or the company. ICC19-1832759 and 1832759