As life expectancy rises, more of us will need to plan for managing our retirement years. Approximately 33% of long-term care costs are paid directly out of pocket by individuals or their families from their personal savings and/or the sale of assets like stocks or homes. Seniors who qualify for Medicaid may receive coverage for some homecare or nursing home costs; but before Medicaid benefits apply, all personal assets must be spent.
Medicare and supplemental Medicare insurance have limited benefits for long-term care. Medicare only pays for a small amount of short-term nursing home care, not the years of care required by many aging adults. In the past decade, private long-term care insurance has become a safe and popular vehicle for covering the anticipated expenses of aging that are not covered by Medicare.