Well Care Health Insurance

Long-term care something to consider

By Jesse K. Hellyer Jr.

You probably know someone who has needed long-term care. Maybe you have witnessed a family member, friend or colleague struggle with the emotional and financial issues that can come with a long-term care experience.

The truth is, no matter when the need arises because of age, disability, or an unexpected illness or accident, long-term care can affect any age group, any social strata and any geographic location. But what is it and how can you plan for it?

What is long-term care?

Long-term care is help you may need due to a lengthy illness, an unexpected injury or accident, or a severe cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease. It’s assistance with the everyday tasks, or the activities of daily living like bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence.

Long-term care may be provided in a variety of locations, from nursing homes and assisted living facilities to adult daycare centers and even one’s home.

Who needs long-term care?

Most of us strive to live active, healthy lives well into our later years, and indeed as a society, Americans are living longer than ever before.

This extended longevity is one of the things that drives the growing need for long-term care — the longer we live, the better the odds that we may need long-term care services. It is predicted that in the year 2020, some 12 million older Americans are expected to need long-term care.

While the majority of long-term care services is provided for seniors, a surprising amount of long-term care services are provided to younger people. In fact, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 40 percent of the 13 million people receiving long-term care services are between18 and 64.

Who pays for long-term care?

Long-term care can be expensive, financially and emotionally.

An unexpected need for long-term care can have a significant impact on a family’s assets and lifestyle. Close to one-fourth of all nursing home costs are paid out of pocket by individuals and their families.

Many people mistakenly believe that their health insurance will cover the cost of long-term care. Others believe that Medicare or Medicaid will cover long-term care expenses. While Medicare does provide health coverage for seniors, it is limited in the coverage it provides for long-term care. Medicaid will pay for the cost of long-term care, but you must qualify by meeting strict income and asset eligibility requirements.

Still Think You Can't Afford Health Insurance? | Health Care Center

These days, health insurance is more important than ever before. Between rising health care costs, more expensive medical technology and procedures, individual and family health insurance, or employer-based insurance company health plans are essential. Without insurance, resources, options and procedures may be limited beyond the burden of your pocketbook. Without adequate insurance, preventive health care maintenance and screening services are often put on the back burner.

Affordable health insurance takes time, research and effort to find. There are many different types of health insurance, including short-term medical, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, and others, all offering a variety of health insurance quotes and costs. It’s important to shop around for the right type of health insurance for you and your family. Any insurance company or representative of any medical health plans should be able to willingly and effectively answer questions you have about individual health insurance, family health insurance, and the difference between a variety of health plans.

Adequate and affordable health insurance provides help in paying for medical services necessary due to illness, car accidents, or unexpected medical events such as heart attack, stroke, or the diagnosis of cancer or other catastrophic illness. Insurance quotes are available at a multitude of online Internet resources, as well as accessing various plans and costs from major health insurance companies such as Blue Shield, Blue Cross, and Cigna, and United Healthcare, just to name a few.

Health insurance companies generally provide benefits for routine exams, preventive diagnostic services, immunizations, x-rays, laboratory tests, and a multitude of screening services that include diabetes and breast, colon, and prostate cancer screening services.

Health insurance can save consumers tens of thousands of dollars on medical costs, especially in the event of accidents or catastrophic illness. Health insurance enables individuals to stay up to date on their medical care, catching disease processes or medical conditions in their early stages, encouraging early diagnosis and treatment options as well as more positive prognosis outcomes. Health insurance also helps to cover the cost of medications, prescription drugs, treatments and therapies not limited to those associated with high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and more.

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American journal of public health