Policies issued earlier don't qualify. But the legislation didn't contain any provisions that would prevent a person from canceling a policy and buying a new one. The premiums might jump, though, depending on age. Employees will pay the full cost of the coverage. The benefit board plan is the same UNUM insurance offered to Public Employee Retirement System retirees beginning last fall.
Premiums depend on age and the options chosen.
Some options include built-in inflation protection, a good idea for anyone younger than 70 who is considering the insurance. The premiums stay at their original level, unless the company raises rates for the whole class. At lower income and asset levels, a person might qualify for Medicaid, government-paid nursing home care. It's the people in the middle who need this coverage. They have assets to protect from the depletion required before Medicaid is granted, but they don't have enough resources to cover years of nursing home care.