Small Business Assistance

Term Life insurance has been with us for a long time. It is the least expensive of all the life insurance policies. Term life insurance is life insurance that provides protection for the named insured over a stated period of time. That is what differentiates it from other forms of life insurance. Term insurance has no equity or cash value accumulation and so it is primarily purchased for the security provided by the death benefit. There are three basic forms of term life insurance.

1. Decreasing Term – This policy is most commonly associated with mortgage protection insurance. The face amount decreases over a stated period of time. A thirty year mortgage for a homeowner is appropriately insured by a thirty year decreasing term policy for the same mortgage amount. The mortgage balance and the term policy decrease at about the same rate and so the homeowner can be assured that his home will be paid for whether he or she lives or dies.

2. Level Term – Level term insurance also provides protection for a specific time period. The face amount remains level throughout the stated period. This policy is often purchased for short term debt or intermediate term debt. You can purchase 5, 10, 15 and 20 year term policies from most insurance companies.

3. Annual Renewable – This form of term insurance is the least recognized of all term policies. It provides a level amount of insurance but the premium increases each year at the policy renewal date. The premiums can be very low at first but can escalate into very high premiums as the insured gets older.

All of these term life insurance policies have there advantages but the common denominators that give term life insurance its definition remains the same. The policy is always for a stated period of time and there is no equity or cash value accumulations. Those two features define term life insurance.

What is Long Term Care Insurance?
Long term care insurance serves to help those individuals who need extra care and attention as they age. Long term care insurance helps to take financial burden away from family members, and for the individual in need of such care.  Often, the elderly have very little income and no “extra” money.  Yet, the cost of aging itself seems to be rising.  Those who can least afford it are expected to pay huge healthcare costs.

This is why long term care insurance can be beneficial, and take financial burden away from those who cannot afford the high cost of healthcare.  A long term care insurance policy may be purchased at any time, though policies are ideally purchased before the need for long term care arises.

Paying the Price of Long Term Care Insurance
Long term care insurance premiums and rates will usually go up as the policyholder ages.  In some cases, long term care insurance will not be needed at all.  In those cases where long term care is needed, however, long term care insurance can be invaluable.

The price of paying for long term care insurance is much less than the cost of paying for long term care.  Healthcare these days is very expensive.  Long term care, these days, is astronomical.

“An average private nursing home room this year costs over $190 per day. Now, to receive 24 hour care at home costs more than $400 per day. Life expectancy for women is 80 years, five more than men. You want to stay in your home as long as you can. You want to choose where and how you receive long term care as you grow older. About sixty percent of those age 65 and older will need long term care. A third of those receiving long term care today are under 65”
-    Long Term Care web site, July 2006

Obtaining a Long Term Care Insurance Policy
Many insurance companies offer long term care insurance policies.  It is always a good idea to shop around for the best rates and coverage when it comes to purchasing any type of insurance policy, but especially when it comes to health insurance.

Rates on long term care insurance will rise as time passes, but in general it is best to purchase a long term care insurance policy before the need for long term care arises.  Do as much research and obtain as many quotes as possible when considering a long term care insurance policy.  Make sure you know the rate at which the policy will increase and how much the long term care insurance will pay.

Understanding Your Long Term Care Insurance Policy
These days, simple insurance policies are so complicated that you almost need a translator to decipher the more complex language.  It’s very important that you understand the details of your long term care policy, including limits and deductibles that are applied to that policy.  If you need help understanding a policy, you can consult with a lawyer. Do not sign up for a  policy unless you understand every detail of that long term care insurance policy.  You want to have all the details before you sign.