MEMBERS: Join the campaign as a professional
promoter! When logged in, you may download the materials by
clicking the "Members Only" sub-tab under the "3 in 4 Need More"
tab.
|
Do you plan to live beyond
65? If so, reflect on this: Prudential Financial Inc.
notes that 74% of consumers ages 55 to 65 polled for a recent
survey said they are concerned about needing some kind of long term
care. That's about three in every four of us!
But the consumer concern has not yet been translated into action
in most cases. In Prudential survey, 25% of all consumers admitted
that they have no idea what a day in a nursing home costs. And only
22% of the participants mentioned the idea of using private LTC
insurance to pay for care.
We need to provide information and incentives to make
LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE available to all who could benefit from
it!
Many people think they're already covered for long-term care,
when they're not. According to the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, "Contrary to what many people believe,
Medicare and private health insurance programs do not pay
for the majority of long-term care services that most people
need -- help with personal care such as dressing or using
the bathroom independently." (National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care
Information*)
If you don't have a long-term care insurance policy, you
may be at risk!
SUPPORT LONG-TERM CARE FOR ALL
AMERICANS:
- Tax rebates or deductions to make LTC insurance more
affordable
- Medicaid reform to stop abuse and ensure public aid for the
truly needy
Health reform is NOT ENOUGH if it falls short of embracing a
long, full life! Take the following two actions to assure that you
and those you love get the protection you need:
- Write or call your representatives, urging them to
provide tax incentives to make long term care insurance affordable
for everyone, to help the 3 in 4 who "need more" after 65
-- and the millions of additional Americans who "need
more" in their 50's, 40's, 30's, or even in their youth or
childhood (long-term care needs can surface at any age).
Click
here for an easy way to contact your elected
representatives.
- Find out if you should get long-term care insurance
NOW, without waiting for new incentives from Washington.
Should you put off your decision until the new legislation
materializes?
There's a risk in waiting. If your health deteriorates, you'll have
to pay a higher rate or might not qualify at all. Then you'd have
to pay the care bills yourself or rely on Medicaid after exhausting
your own assets ... or become a burden on relatives. Also, if you
wait, there's no guarantee Congress will pass the law we need.
Click
here to find an LTC Guild member who can help you decide
whether LTC insurance is important for you NOW, based on your
assets, age, sex, and health.
You can find rich sources of advice on this site. Members
include state-certified long-term care insurance agents, care
specialists, financial advisors, and others eager to share their
expertise or experiences.
*Additional information on risk and cost: Peter Kemper, Harriet
L. Komisar, and Lisa Alecxih, "Long-Term Care Over an Uncertain
Future: What Can Current Retirees Expect?," Inquiry, Vol. 42,
Winter 2005/2006, pps. 335-350, www.inquiryjournal.org
Critique of the above study from the Center for Long-Term Care
Reform: LTC Bullets, March 28, 2006, Stephen Moses
MEMBERS: When logged in, you may download the
campaign materials by clicking the "Members Only" sub-tab under the
"3 in 4 Need More" tab. |