Long Term Care Planning
The Facts.
84% of Americans have had at least some experience with nursing homes -- either as a patient or a visitor, and 46% say a family member or close friend has been in a nursing home in the past three years. (Senior Journal, July 2005.)
Medicare generally doesn't pay for long term care. (www.medicare.gov, 2005.)
48% of today's workers are not confident in their ability to pay for long term care in retirement. (Retirement Confidence Survey, Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2004.)
By 2030, 20% of all Americans, or about 70 million people, will have passed their 65th birthday. The average 75-year-old has three chronic conditions and uses five prescription drugs. (Executive Summary, The State of Aging and Health in America, Centers for Disease Control, 2004.)
The Risks.
You have a one-in-96 chance of your house being damaged by fire.
Surely your home is covered.
You have a one-in-five chance of your car being damaged in an accident.
You wouldn't drive without auto insurance.
But you have a 50% chance that you will need long term care at some point in your life.
So why wouldn't you insure your independence?
(2004 Field Guide, National Underwriter, 2004.)
The Costs.
Two-thirds of single people and one-third of married couples exhaust their funds after just 13 weeks in a nursing home. Within two years, 90% will be bankrupt. (2004 Field Guide, National Underwriter, 2004.)
The average cost per year of nursing home care is $57,700. (Kiplinger's Retirement Report, March 2004.)
The median cost of care in an assisted living facility is $30,000 per year. (Adult Day Care Services, AARP, February 2004.)
By 2030, the average nursing home stay will cost approximately half a million dollars ($468,960). (Kiplinger's Retirement Report, March 2004.)
Honest Insurance Solutions © All Rights Reserved.