Read THIS Before You File Your Long-Term Care Insurance Claim

Read This BEFORE You File Your Long-Term Care Insurance Claim

Submitted by: Kimberly Perkins-Akers Amada Senior Care

Many Americans purchased long-term care insurance in an effort to protect themselves from the financial risks associated with long-term care. Unfortunately, when seniors are ready to cash in on their investment, claims are often denied and they end up spending months or even years trying to convince the insurers to approve the claim. Here is what you need to know before you file a long-term insurance claim.

Is it the right time for you to file a long-term care insurance claim?

Before your file your long-term insurance claim, make sure at least one of the following scenarios applies to you.

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You receive long-term care services and want to claim benefits.

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You recently received long-term care services and want to claim benefits.

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You expect to receive long-term care services within the next two weeks. If none of these scenarios apply to you, it might not be the right time to file a claim. If you are not sure, you can take advantage of Amada's complimentary long-term care advising services.

How do you qualify for long-term care insurance benefits?

Benefit triggers are the conditions that must occur before you start receiving benefits from the long-term care insurance policy. Most insurers decide when you can start receiving insurance benefits by evaluating your ability to perform certain "activities of daily living" (ADLs).

Benefits usually begin when you need assistance with two or three ADLs.

Tip: People have a tendency minimize our ailments and limitations. Unfortunately, this won't help you when filing your long-term insurance claim. When answering questions, always refer to your worst days as opposed to your best days to ensure you get the care you need.

When will your benefits be available?

Your long-term care policy has an elimination period, also known as a deductible or waiting period. An elimination period is the number of days you must receive care before your policy begins to pay benefits. Common elimination periods are 30, 60, and 90 days. Generally, the shorter your elimination period is, the higher your premium.

Get Complimentary Assistance With Long-Term Care

Long-term care insurance policies can be challenging to navigate, which is why Amada Senior Care specializes in long-term care insurance claims. A trained Amada professional can help you get the most out of your policy by helping you understand and verify your benefits. We can identify and explain the elements of your policy, including:

Elimination period o

Maximum daily benefit o

Lifetime benefit o

      Coverage

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Assist you in completing the necessary forms to file a claim

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Directly bill the long-term care carrier

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Handle the responsibility of payroll taxes, benefits, scheduling, bonding, worker’s compensation, and general and professional liability insurance

Conclusion

Long-term care insurance is one of the best investments you have made for you and your family's financial security. Navigating the benefits and the claims process can be challenging and it is recommended not doing it alone. Amada Senior Care is an expert in long term care insurance  policies and claims.

Sponsor of the SPOTLIGHT Senior Services & Living Options Guide. Visit us online today and say "I saw you in SPOTLIGHT!" Call to schedule a Long Term Care Insurance Review at 480-999-5250 or visit www.AmadaSEValley.com

Five Reasons to Have Long-Term Care Insurance

Aging is inevitable, so it’s important to prepare for it as much as possible. Below are five reasons Amada Senior Care believes having a long-term care insurance policy is a smart investment.

1. The possibility that you’ll need long-term care continues to grow. The fastest growing group in the United States is people over 85. In the next 30 years, an estimated 1 million individuals will reach the age of 100. As life expectancy increases, the need for long-term care does as well. At some point, it’s likely that even the healthiest of seniors will need assistance with activities of daily living.


2. You have more choices for how and where you’ll grow old. It’s ideal for many seniors to “age in place” at home. Long-term care insurance covers costs where Medicare doesn’t, like if a senior needs assistance with non-medical care like bathing, getting dressed, or cooking meals. Being financially prepared allows seniors to choose where and how they want to age. “Contrary to what most people think, the vast majority of long term care insurance pays for care in the home or in assisted living communities, not in skilled nursing homes. Consider long term care insurance as nursing home avoidance protection,” said Jessie Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.


3. You are prepared for the uncertainty of the future. You may not activate your policy for another 20 years, or you may have a medical emergency and need to activate it tomorrow. Whatever the situation, knowing you are financially prepared for long-term care can make the transition easier. Some may view long-term care insurance as an expense rather than an investment. However, the costs of long-term care (in-home care ranges anywhere from $14 to $28 per hour) are expected to keep increasing and can quickly exhaust even the soundest savings. Noretta Mitchell, an in-home client of Amada, said purchasing a long-term care insurance policy was the best financial decision she ever made. “I can’t even fathom the immense financial devastation it would have caused if I wouldn’t have had long-term care insurance,” Mitchell said. “I would be lost without it.”


4. Your family will thank you. Families want their senior loved ones to receive quality care, even if that means taking on the caregiving responsibilities themselves. Especially for those in the “sandwich generation” – middle-aged adults who support an aging parent as well as their own children – the physical, emotional, and financial burden of caregiving can quickly cause stress and burnout. Knowing mom or dad is financially prepared for aging with a long-term care insurance policy will relieve the worries of your family members.


5. You will have peace of mind. Long-term care insurance will provide financial security that can help seniors age with dignity and without becoming a burden to their families. Being able to afford quality care can help seniors enjoy a quality life – one with less worry, in which they can maintain a sense of independence while surrounding themselves with people and things that they love.

 
While the value of long-term care insurance is proven, policies can be difficult to decipher and the options for coverage can be overwhelming. The help of a professional, such as an Amada Senior Care Advisor, can be crucial to getting the most out of your policy. Amada’s team of professionals can help educate seniors on long-term care insurance policies, and help them manage and analyze existing policies. Amada Senior Care acts as an advocate – negotiating with insurance companies on behalf of seniors and policyholders.

“They are professionals. You just know you’re in good hands with them,” Mitchell said of Amada Senior Care. “With someone like Amada, I don’t really have to worry about the claims process or anything else. I just get to focus on my own health and on getting well.”

Click here to find an Amada Senior Care location near you!

Visit us online @ http://www.amadamesa.com

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The Women Vs. Men: Who Needs Long-Term Care Most Often?

There's a reason you see many more older women than men at the bingo parlor - - women live longer than men. For most of us, that's really no secret, but the related numbers may be surprising:

Profile of Nursing Home Residents

• 14% of the U.S. population is made up of older (65+) Americans.
• Of this group, women outnumber men greater than 4:3.
• Persons reaching age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 19.2 years (20.4 years for females and 17.8 years for males).
• In Texas, the population of older Americans has increased over 30% from 2000 to 2011 (2.7 million).

Why do Women Live Longer than Men?

• Stress -- women, as a group, tend not to internalize stress as much as men.  Also important is the fact that women have stronger social connections than men, which help them vent and share their stress.
• Delay of the onset of cardiovascular disease. Women tend to develop cardiovascular problems in their 70's and 80's, while the male trend is in the 40 - 50 age bracket. Estrogen is credited as keeping the arteries strong.
• Men often take bigger risks with their well-being than women. Unfortunately this biological marker leads to more men dying earlier.
• Women take better care of their health. It's estimated that 28% of men don't have a regular doctor.

The fact that women live longer means that many of them will need long-term care - and need it for a longer period of time than men. The insurance industry has taken note of this fact as well. Long-term care insurance rates rose between 20-30% for a female policy from 2013-2014, while a male policy actually dropped about 15%.

Many of the issues of aging can be solved by providing parents with the support they need to continue to maintain their independence. The resources provided by Caring Senior Service can help. ​Get in touch with us today!  http://phoenix.caringseniorservice.com