Benefits of Long Term Care Plans that you need to Know
With the continuous increase in the prices of basic commodities and services nowadays, some people delay their purchase of long term care plans to give way to the things that they think are more valuable and useful.
Unknown to them, long term care policies provide services and facilities that the residents might need in the coming years. According to some studies, all individuals, especially those who are aged 60 and above, would require to receive LTC services at least once in their lifetime, and that the average duration lasts for three years. Given these facts, LTC plans prove to be one of the most beneficial investments that a person may give to himself and to his family.
Some of the services that LTC policies provide include the confinement in a nursing home or adult day care facility of the insured person for treatment and other medical purposes, the use of medical equipments and facilities that his health condition may need and require, assistance in his rehabilitation and therapy, and help from licensed medical professionals and caregivers.
The medical professionals make certain that they help and assist the insured individuals with their needs, and make some tasks that may be hard or difficult for the person much easier. The insured person may opt to receive his policy benefits from his home if he does not want to be confined on a nursing home facility. This will still make him entitled to get services from these doctors, nurses, and caregivers.
In choosing and buying long term care plans, there are three compulsory features needed for a policy to be considered valid and authorized. A minimum benefit coverage period determines the validity and duration of a certain policy. For some cases wherein the benefit coverage period of a person’s plan ends, but the individual still needs to receive medical care and treatments, he may still apply for Medicaid benefits as long as he meets the standards and requirements set by Medicaid.
On the other hand, a minimum daily benefit amount limits the price or amount of LTC services that a person must receive or incur for every single day that he uses his policy benefits. Depending on the type of LTC policy that he has, he may be reimbursed of the exact amount that he used and add any remaining amount to his trust fund, or he may get the whole amount of his benefit, whether or not the services he got is lower than his allowed limit. But for every dollar that will exceed his price cap, the person is liable to pay it.
Lastly, the most important of all LTC plan features is the inflation protection. It has the capacity to adjust the value of an LTC plan based on the present costs of LTC services available. It also has certain levels according to the age of the person when he applied and purchased his LTC plan, the younger he was when he got his policy, the higher level he will get.
Hopefully, with all these pros and benefits, more people will be encouraged to avail of long term care plans in order for them to live the comfortable and worry-free retirement life that all of us are dreaming of.