Life Insurance That Cares for You, Today and Tomorrow

Coverage Length: Typically 12 months or less.
Use Cases: Facility or in-home care during recovery; helps cover gaps that Medicare or major medical may not.
Cost: Generally more affordable than traditional long-term care.
Common Features: Daily cash benefits, short elimination periods, and optional home-health benefits. Features vary by carrier.

Care Settings: Assisted living, nursing facilities, memory care, and at-home services.
Benefit Triggers: Usually activated when you cannot perform 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or have a cognitive impairment.
Asset Protection: Helps preserve savings and protect family plans.
Options: Traditional long-term care or hybrid life insurance with LTC riders; inflation protection and shared-care riders may be available.

Key Details
Timing: Apply while healthy to lock in pricing and insurability; many find the best value in their 50s to early 60s.
Inflation Protection: Options like 3% or 5% compound help benefits keep pace with rising care costs.

What to Know About STC & LTC:
Purpose: Covers long-term services and supports such as home health aides, adult day care, assisted living, memory care, and nursing facilities. Benefits may be paid as reimbursement to providers or as cash indemnity, depending on the policy.
STC vs. LTC: Short-Term Care (STC) generally covers up to ~12 months with simpler underwriting. Long-Term Care (LTC) provides larger benefit pools/periods for extended needs and additional options, such as shared-care for couples.
Key Choices: Daily/monthly maximums, benefit period or total pool, elimination period (waiting period), inflation protection, and optional riders (waiver of premium, restoration of benefits).
Benefit Triggers: Typically activated when you cannot perform 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or have severe cognitive impairment, certified by a licensed professional.
Underwriting: Based on health history, medications, and sometimes cognitive screening. Some carriers offer simplified or accelerated issue options depending on age and coverage amount.
Medicare/Medicaid: Medicare covers limited skilled care; custodial LTC is generally not included. Medicaid may assist after asset/spend-down rules; Partnership programs can provide asset protection (state rules vary).
Taxes: For tax-qualified LTC, benefits are generally income-tax-free; some premiums may be deductible depending on IRS limits and entity type. Consult a tax professional.
Coordination: Decide between standalone STC/LTC or hybrid life + LTC policies. Ensure powers of attorney and a trusted contact are in place.

Fast Next Steps:
Estimate local costs for home care, assisted living, and nursing facilities.
Select benefit amounts, benefit period/pool, and an elimination period you can self-fund.
Add inflation protection and check for state Partnership-eligible options.
Choose STC vs. LTC based on budget and expected care duration; couples may explore shared-care riders.
Prepare health history and medication list; some applications include a brief phone or cognitive screening.

Key Details
Short-Term Care (STC): Typically up to 12 months of benefits; simpler underwriting; ideal for temporary care gaps.
Long-Term Care (LTC): Longer benefit periods and larger pools for extended care needs; broader coverage options, including shared-care for couples.

What to Know About STC & LTC:
Purpose: Helps cover long-term services and supports, including home health aides, adult day care, assisted living, memory care, and nursing facilities. Benefits may be paid directly to providers or as cash indemnity, depending on the policy.
Key Choices: Daily/monthly maximums, benefit period or total pool, elimination period (waiting period), inflation protection (e.g., 3% or 5% compound), and optional riders such as waiver of premium or restoration of benefits.
Benefit Triggers: Typically activated when you cannot perform 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or have severe cognitive impairment, verified by a licensed professional.
Underwriting: Based on health history, medications, and sometimes cognitive screening. Some carriers offer simplified or accelerated issue options depending on age and coverage amount.
Medicare/Medicaid: Medicare generally covers only limited skilled care, not custodial LTC. Medicaid may assist after asset/spend-down rules; state Partnership programs can offer additional asset protection.
Taxes: Tax-qualified LTC benefits are generally income-tax-free; some premiums may be deductible depending on IRS limits and entity type. Consult a tax professional.
Coordination: Choose between standalone STC/LTC or hybrid life + LTC policies. Ensure powers of attorney and trusted contacts are in place.

Fast Next Steps:
Estimate local care costs for home care, assisted living, and nursing facilities.
Select benefit amounts, total pool/period, and elimination period you can self-fund.
Add inflation protection and verify state Partnership-eligible options.
Choose STC vs. LTC based on budget and expected care duration; consider shared-care riders for couples.
Prepare health history and medication list; some applications may include a brief phone or cognitive screening. check-ins.

Key Details
Home Care & Care Coordination: Prioritize policies with strong home care and care-coordination benefits to help maintain independence.
Elimination Period: Choose a waiting period (e.g., 0–90 days) you can self-fund so benefits begin when needed.

What to Know About STC & LTC:
Purpose: Provides coverage for long-term services and supports, including home health aides, adult day care, assisted living, memory care, and nursing facilities. Benefits may be paid directly to providers or as cash indemnity.
STC vs. LTC: STC usually covers up to ~12 months with simpler underwriting; LTC offers longer benefit periods and larger pools for extended needs, including options like shared-care for couples.
Key Choices: Daily/monthly maximums, total benefit pool or period, elimination period, inflation protection (e.g., 3% or 5% compound), and optional riders such as waiver of premium or restoration of benefits.
Benefit Triggers: Activated when you cannot perform 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or have severe cognitive impairment, certified by a licensed professional.
Underwriting: Based on health history, medications, and sometimes cognitive screening; simplified or accelerated issue may be available depending on age and coverage amount.
Medicare/Medicaid: Medicare covers limited skilled care, not custodial LTC. Medicaid may assist after asset/spend-down; some state Partnership programs offer additional asset protection.
Taxes: Tax-qualified LTC benefits are generally income-tax-free; premiums may be deductible depending on IRS limits and entity type. Consult a tax professional.
Coordination: Decide between standalone STC/LTC or hybrid life + LTC policies; ensure powers of attorney and trusted contacts are in place.

Fast Next Steps:
Estimate local care costs for home care, assisted living, and nursing facilities.
Choose benefit amounts, total pool/period, and elimination period you can self-fund.
Add inflation protection and verify state Partnership-eligible options.
Select STC vs. LTC based on budget and expected care duration; consider shared-care riders for couples.
Prepare health history and medications; some applications may include a brief phone or cognitive screening.

Key Details
Employer-paid coverage or executive carve-out plans may be tax-deductible depending on your setup—consult a tax professional.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can often reimburse tax-qualified short- or long-term care premiums up to IRS limits; confirm current rules.

What to Know About Short-Term & Long-Term Care
Purpose: Helps cover long-term services & supports, including home health aides, adult day care, assisted living, memory care, and nursing facilities. Benefits may be paid directly to providers or as cash to you, depending on the policy.
STC vs. LTC: Short-Term Care (STC) usually provides up to ~12 months of coverage with simpler underwriting. Long-Term Care (LTC) offers larger benefit pools and longer coverage periods for extended needs, with additional options like shared-care for couples.
Key Choices: Daily/monthly maximum benefits, total benefit pool or period, elimination (waiting) periods, inflation protection (e.g., 3% or 5% compound), and optional riders such as waiver of premium or restoration of benefits.
Benefit Triggers: Typically activated when you cannot perform 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or have severe cognitive impairment, certified by a licensed professional.
Underwriting: Health history, medications, and sometimes cognitive screening are considered. Some carriers offer simplified or accelerated issue based on age and coverage amount.
Medicare/Medicaid: Medicare covers limited skilled care and generally does not cover custodial LTC. Medicaid may assist after asset/spend-down rules; some states offer Partnership programs for asset protection.
Taxes: Tax-qualified LTC benefits are generally income-tax-free. Premiums may be deductible depending on IRS limits and entity structure—always confirm with a tax professional.
Coordination: Decide whether a standalone LTC/STC policy or a hybrid life + LTC solution fits your needs. Ensure powers of attorney and a trusted contact are in place.

Fast Next Steps
Estimate local costs for home care, assisted living, and nursing facilities.
Select benefit amounts, benefit period/pool, and elimination period you can self-fund.
Consider adding inflation protection; check for state Partnership eligibility.
Choose between STC or LTC based on budget and expected duration; explore shared-care riders for couples.
Prepare health history and medications; some applications may include a brief phone or cognitive screening.