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- Basic Needs   - Understanding Long-Term Care
  - What is Long-Term Care?
  - Long-Term Care Pathfinder
  - Who Needs Care?
  - How Much Care Will You Need?
  - Who Will Provide Your Care?
  - Where Can You Receive Care?
  - Finding Local Services
  - Who is in Charge? Radio PSAs
- Costs & Who Pays   - Overview
  - Who Pays for Long-Term Care?
  - Costs of Care
  - What is Covered by Health & Disability Insurance?
  - What is Long-Term Care Insurance?
  - Paying Privately
- Medicare, Medicaid & More   - Overview
  - Medicare
  - Medicaid
  - Veterans Affairs Benefits
  - Other State Programs
- Housing   - Where You Live Matters
  - Staying in Your Home
  - Living in a Facility
- Legal Steps   - How to Decide
  - Advance Care Plan Considerations
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Welcome to

LongTermCare.gov

            -  Home 
            -  LTC Home 
            -  Costs & Who Pays 
            -  What is Long-term Care Insurance? 
            -                   Where to Look for Long-term Care Insurance              

# Where to Look for Long-term Care Insurance

## Costs & Who Pays

                    -  Overview 
                    -  Who Pays for Long-Term Care?                        -   Using Life Insurance to Pay for Long-Term Care 
                      -  Buying Long-Term Care Insurance 
                    -  Costs of Care 
                    -  What is Covered by Health & Disability Insurance?                        -  Coverage Limits Chart 
                    -  What is Long-Term Care Insurance?                        -  What Long-term Care Insurance Covers 
                      -  Receiving Long-Term Care Insurance Benefits 
                      -  Where to Look for Long-term Care Insurance 
                      -  Long-term Care Insurance Costs 
                    -  Paying Privately                        -  Reverse Mortgages 
                      -  Annuities 
                      -  Trusts 

## Insurance specialist

Most people buy long-term care insurance directly from a**n insurance agent, a financial planner, or a broker**. Some important points:
                  - States regulate which companies can sell long-term care insurance
                  - States regulate the products that companies can sell
                  - There are more than  100 companies  offering long-term care insurance nationally, but  15 to 20 insurers sell most policies
                  - The best way to find out which insurance companies offer  long-term care  coverage in your state is to  contact your state's Department of Insurance

## State Partnership Programs

Residents of some states may be able to find long-term care coverage through a State Partnership Program that links special Partnership-qualified (PQ) long-term policies provided by private insurance companies with Medicaid. These PQ policies:
                  - Help people purchase shorter term, more complete long-term care insurance
                  - Include inflation protection, so the dollar amount of  benefits  you receive can be higher than the amount of insurance coverage you purchased
                  - All you to apply for Medicaid under modified eligibility rules if you continue to need long-term care and your policy maximum is reached
                  - Include a special "asset disregard" feature that allows you to keep assets like personal savings above the usual $2,000 Medicaid limit.

The following example shows how a Partnership-qualified policy works:
                  - John, a single man,  purchases a Partnership policy  with a value of $100,000.
                  - Some years later he  receives benefits  under that policy up to the policy's lifetime maximum coverage (adjusted for inflation) equaling $150,000.
                  - John eventually requires more  long-term care services , and applies for Medicaid. If John's policy was not a Partnership-qualified policy, in order to qualify for Medicaid, he would be entitled to keep only  $2,000 in assets . He would have to  spend down  any assets over and above this amount.
                  - But because John bought a Partnership-qualified policy, he  can keep $152,000 in assets  and the state will not recover those funds after his death. John would only have to spend down his assets over and above the $152,000 in order to be eligible for Medicaid.

Since Partnership-qualified policies must include inflation protection, the **amount of the benefits you receive can be higher** than the amount of insurance protection you purchased. For example, if you have a Partnership-qualified long-term care insurance policy and receive $100,000 in benefits from it, you can apply for Medicaid and, if eligible, retain $100,000 worth of assets over and above the state's Medicaid asset threshold. In most states the asset limit is $2,000 for a single person. Asset limits for married couples are often higher.

States must certify that partnership policies meet the **specific requirements** for their partnership program, including that those who sell partnership policies are trained and understand how these policies relate to public and private coverage options. To find out more about your state's program, including which insurance agents are selling partnership policies, or to find out if your state offers a partnership program, contact your state's Department of Insurance.

## Employer

Many private and public employers, including **the federal government****and a growing number of state governments**, offer group long-term care programs as a voluntary benefit, and generally:
                  - Employers do not typically contribute to the premium cost (as they do with health insurance), but they often negotiate a  favorable group rate
                  - If you are currently employed, it  may be easier  to qualify for long-term care insurance through your employer than it is to purchase a policy on your own
                  - You should check with your benefit or pensions office to see if your employer offers long-term care insurance.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has additional information about the **Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program** for employees of the federal government.

*Last modified on 02/18/2020*

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