San Diego Estate Planning Lawyer Blog
In San Diego, many residents lead a very healthy life style. These life styles lead to longer life. As part of any estate plan, insurance can play a significant component. Our law firm of Law Office of Scott C. Soady, A Professional Corporation, LLP recommends you investigate any business by using the San Diego Better Business Bureau before purchasing any long term care insurance from a company or individual. In addition, you should also contact the California Department of Insurance to make certain of the valid license status and any other information which would be important in making such an essential decision as to the insurance provider.
Our office practices in estate planning and long term care for the elderly. Please feel free to contact our office by phone or e mail and we would be pleased to offer you a complimentary and confidential consultation. We have an excellent article regarding long term care on our website.
Longer life expectancies and the coming surge in the retirement-age population have increased the demand for long-term care, as well as for insurance as one means of paying for that care. Long-term care encompasses a broad range of services for those with a prolonged illness, disability, or mental disorder. Unlike the focus of traditional medical care exclusively on certain medical problems, the goal of long-term care is the maintenance of an individual’s level of functioning.
The two main types of care are skilled care, provided by medical personnel for medical conditions according to a treatment plan, and personal care. Personal care, sometimes called custodial care, is assistance with the activities of daily living that can be provided in many settings, including nursing homes, adult day-care centers, or the individual’s own home.
Whether the purchase of long-term care insurance makes sense for a particular individual depends on age, health status, overall retirement objectives, and income. As with any type of insurance, it is critical to understand what is and is not covered among the types of long-term care services that are available. Exclusions and limitations are common. Equally important is knowing where services are covered. Some policies cover care in any state-licensed facility, but others may specifically include or exclude particular types of facilities.
Since the amount of coverage is dictated by the type of service, coverage amounts will vary depending on the service. Most policies have a “total lifetime benefit” for the duration of a policy. In addition, benefits are often payable up to maximum amounts per day, week, month, or year.
A provision on when benefits are payable, sometimes called a “benefit trigger,” is another key feature that can vary significantly among policies. Some states have legislated benefit-trigger requirements, making it a good idea to check with state insurance departments. Typically, benefits become payable because of the insured’s inability to perform a certain number of the activities of daily living. Policy language on mental incapacity also allows for benefits when the insured fails mental functioning tests. Such a benefit trigger is especially important for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s, even though most states prohibit the outright exclusion of coverage for that disease.
Although they can add to the cost of a policy, there are optional policy provisions that can help to tailor a policy to individual circumstances. Third-party notification authorizes the insurer to notify a designated third party, such as a relative or friend, if the policy is about to lapse for nonpayment of the premium. A waiver of premium clause allows the insured to stop paying premiums once he or she is in a nursing home and the insurer has begun to pay benefits. Nonforfeiture benefits return some of the investment in the policy if coverage is dropped. If an insured has paid premiums for a certain number of years, some policies allow a death benefit to the estate consisting of a refund of premiums, minus any benefits the company has paid.
Premiums paid for long-term care insurance are deductible as a medical expense, as long as all medical expenses exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income. Since premiums on average increase more than tenfold between the ages of 40 and 70, this deduction increases substantially with age. The maximum long-term care premium you can add to your other deductible medical expenses is based on your age at the end of each tax year.
Employer contributions to long-term care insurance for their employees are tax deductible for the employer, and premium payments are not taxable income to the employees. Benefits from a long-term care plan are excluded from income up to the lesser of the actual costs incurred or $63,875 per year. The annual limitation will increase with inflation in future years.