 Long-term care (LTC)
LTC is a variety of services
which help meet both the medical and non-medical need of people with a
chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for
long periods of time.
It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and
non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like
dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom.
Long-term
care may also include medical care that most people do for
themselves, such as diabetes monitoring.
Retirement Income Insurance Info
Long-term care
can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living or in
nursing homes. Long-term care may be need by people of any age, even
though it is a common need for senior citizens.
California Health Insurance
Although long-term care insurance is relatively new, more than 100
companies now offer coverage.
Long-term care insurance is generally available through groups and to
individuals. Group insurance is typically offered through employers, and
this type of coverage is becoming a more common benefit. By the end of
2002, more than 5,600 employers were offering a long-term care insurance
plan to their employees, retirees, or both.
Individual long-term care insurance coverage is a good option if you are
not employed, work for a small company that doesn't offer a plan, or are
self-employed. Choosing a policy requires careful shopping because
coverage and costs vary from company to company and depend on the
benefit levels you choose.
The goal of long-term care services is to help you maximize your
independence and functioning at a time when you are unable to be fully
independent.
Generally, Medicare
doesn't pay for long-term care.
Medicare pays only for medically
necessary skilled nursing facility or home health care. However, certain
conditions must be met for Medicare to pay for even those types of care.
Medicare specifically will not pay for custodial and non-skilled care.
Medicaid is a government program that will pay for certain health
services and nursing home care for older people. In most states,
Medicaid also pays for some long-term care services at home and in the
community. Eligibility and covered services vary from state to state.
Most often, eligibility is based on income and personal resources. |
