WHAT IS LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE?
Long-term care insurance is supposed to provide you with care when, or if you can no longer care for yourself. Generally, it is coverage that provides nursing-home care, home-health care, personal or adult day care for individuals who need help caring for themselves and performing routing activities of daily life. It often provides benefits not covered by your regular health insurance or Medicare plan.
Often, we think of long-term insurance in terms of the elderly. However, long-term insurance care may be needed by a younger person who has experienced a disabling injury or illness. Experts estimate that at least 60% of all individuals will need extended help during their lifetime. The need for long-term care may only last for a few weeks or months, or it may go on for years. It all depends on the underlying reasons for needing care.
Unfortunately, when it comes time for insurance companies to pay on a claim, they sometimes drag their feet. Remember that, often, long-term insurers are for-profit companies, so the more benefits they approve and pay out, the less money they make. While the premise behind long-term care is simple, getting claims paid can be difficult and frustrating.
At Leader, Leader & Zucker, PLLC, our Ft. Lauderdale insurance lawyers know all about long-term insurance issues and how to get results for you. If you have a valid insurance claim, we won’t give up fighting for you, because we know there is too much at stake emotionally and financially.
It is estimated by the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information that the average cost of a nursing home in 2007 was $87,000 a year. This big price tag can be cost-prohibitive and can financially devastate a family. That is why it is so important that our Ft. Lauderdale long-term care insurance attorneys get you all the benefits you are due.
LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES ARE OFTEN PROVIDED IN THE FOLLOWING SETTINGS:
- In your home
- In the home of a family member or friend
- In a hospice
- In a nursing home
- In an assisted living facility
YOU MAY NEED TEMPORARY LONG-TERM CARE LASTING DAYS OR A COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR THE FOLLOWING:
- Rehabilitation from an injury or hospital stay
- Recovery from an illness, injury or surgery
YOU MAY NEED LONG-TERM CARE FOR A MORE PROLONGED PERIOD FOR:
- Terminal medical conditions
- Chronic pain
- Alzheimer’s or dementia
- Brain injuries
- Chronic medical conditions, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia