Long Term Insurance Fraud: How To Avoid It

By Terry Stanfield

We do not live in a perfect world and the risk of fraud exists. It may be a fraud through a company offering you products, or it may be fraud through con artists, but the sad truth is it exists. Long-term care insurance is not exempt from the risk of fraud, and there are those out there who will try and benefit off your misfortune and leave you with nothing. One of the important things you can learn from the mistakes of others is how to avoid being a victim of insurance fraud.

Obviously, the first thing anyone should consider when they are thinking of getting long-term care insurance is research. Researching a company is one of the best ways to prevent long-term insurance fraud. When you look at the record of a company, you will be given a clear indication of how they will treat you and your money.

You should look into the financial rating of a company to determine how legit it is, and how stable it is. Standard & Poor determines the strength of insurance companies, as well as giving detailed financial profiles on thousands of insurance companies. You can also look at Fitch Ratings, which give financial strength ratings for many insurance companies.

When you decide on a long-term care insurance policy, make sure you get the policy when you meet with the insurance broker. Do not fall for the line of 'It is all in the brochure.' Usually, it is not. You should be able to get the policy, in writing, when you meet with the broker and before you sign it, make sure you read it very carefully, even if you have to take it home to do so.

When you get a policy, you are asked for a month's premium up front to process the application. If you choose not to accept the policy or you are declined, you should get your money back in full.

You can also talk to friends of yours to find out what insurance company they go through for their own long-term care insurance policies, if they do. However, do not accept their word because they could be victims of long-term insurance fraud and not even know it yet. Just research the company and if you find out something troubling, let them know. Conclusion Long-term care insurance is one of the best things you can do to make sure you are not a financial burden on your family. However, you do not want to give someone your money and find out later that you were a victim of fraud. Then, with all the money you put in, you come up with nothing and that is a horrible situation to be in. Do your research, ask questions, don't sign anything without reading it and always make clear what you expect up front. If you do this, you should be okay and be able to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of long-term care insurance fraud. You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Why Long Term Care Insurance?

By Terry Stanfield

Nothing in our lives is static, least of all our own ability to care for ourselves. Eventually, as we age, the need to have a long-term care solution becomes increasingly important. However, long-term care insurance does not have to only apply to the elderly. Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed at the age of 42, required nine years of long-term care. As a result, the need for long-term care insurance is incredibly important and individuals need to start looking to purchase long-term care insurance immediately.

Generally, long-term care is for those who are not sick in the traditional sense, but are simply unable to perform basic daily activities like dressing, eating, bathing and walking. When someone is in this situation, financial security and asset protection can be difficult. However, with long-term care insurance, those worries are alleviated, or disappear altogether.

Medicare, which is used by millions of Americans to assist them in their medical expenses, does not cover expenses related to long-term care, while Medicaid will for those who cannot pay for the expenses. However, this amounts to very little money and if an individual wants financial security as they age, the need to purchase long-term care insurance increases.

Long-term care does not always apply to an individual who is aging, suffering from a disease, or in need of care for years on end. In fact, some individuals only need long-term care insurance as they recover from surgery, an accident or illness. As a result, the unfair stigma attached to long-term care insurance only being used by the elderly is unfounded, as some young individuals do benefit from it. It could be you, which shows the importance of everyone taking the initiative and going out to purchase long-term care insurance as soon as possible.

When an individual decides to purchase long-term care insurance, they are taking their future in their hands and planning for the possibility that they may not be able to take care of themselves down the road. Doing this means your family will not be struggling to pay your bills and your medical costs while you are incapacitated. As well, it will keep your bank account from draining while you are receiving long-term care. Long-term care insurance is the best way to ensure your future financial situation stays as solid as your present.

Conclusion Long-term care insurance is an excellent way for an individual to plan ahead. No one knows what the future holds and, as a result, measures need to be taken to ensure that the quality of life we enjoy at this point will be the same quality of life we enjoy when we need long-term care. Going out to purchase long-term care insurance for yourself or a family member will keep the financial stresses from becoming too much in the unfortunate situation where a family member requires long-term care.

Remember, chance favors the prepared and we should always hope for the best, while preparing for the worst. The future is uncertain, so add some certainty by going out to purchase long-term care insurance.

You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Don't Be Fooled By "Instant Quote" LTC Insurance Website

By Neil Gholson

What is the deal with the instant long term care insurance quotes that are all over the net. Lets take a closer.

There are many choices on how we search for information today. Not only do we have resource libraries, and media opinions, but we now have the greatest source of all. A completely unlimited resource that doesn't care about politics, or media opinions, or the flavor of the day. It's the information highway, the internet! With the likes of search engines like Google, and Yahoo at our very finger tips it's very simply to do a quick search on virtually any topic in question. Unfortunately, just like the predecessors before the internet, some things can be manipulated to fool the average consumer. Let's take a basic search for Long Term Care Insurance. Oh my, millions and millions of hits,now what?? Well as consumers, we think all we need is a price and then just pick the best one, sometimes possibly, but not in the case of long term care insurance. One price does not fit every American's inquiry on the internet search engines.For example, let's say we have a married couple in their late 50's in reasonably good health. They eat right and take care of themselves physically. Easy right, any product for Long Term Care Insurance. nope, way to many variables. There is absolutely no way this couple could get a fair and honest shake from a site that promises an instant quote.

There are always three basic drivers of a long term care insurance plan that determines what company, product, and size of plan one needs, health, age and finances.

Health determines best company to utilize; age determines what product is best suited for you; and finances determines size of plans you can comfortably afford. Instant long term care insurance quotes websites may be able to go through a short list of health questions on a site to see if you are even remotely eligible, but that's it.

Then there are medications, doses, pending surgeries, and other controlled conditions that might make a difference to an insurance company.

Age is easy enough, but some carriers offer better rates at certain ages than others.

Finances are a very unlikely topic to inadvertently display for who knows who, so that's out too.

Now, I'm sure this is beginning to make complete sense. Only if I had never taken any medications, known exactly what company and plan I can afford, then I could possibly get an Instant Quote from the internet.

The bottom line, you need an expert in this field to make recommendations about your future needs. Your stock broker, financial planner, tax accountant, lawyer know little more about long term care insurance, other than they know you need it. That is still more than these instant long term care insurance quotes websites. Ask an expert that specializes in long term care insurance and represents several companies. They are out there, don't trust the protection of your assets and choices in your care to anyone other than a true expert. Some sites are good, and your name goes to an licensed agent in your state who is an expert in long term care insurance, as well as partnerships, LTCi tax laws and other localized situations. Get as much information as possible so that you can make an educated decision on your long term care insurance plan.

A lot of these sites will give you low quotes to get you signed up and in the door, but just wait for your first real quote from them. Talk about sticker shock! All you would have accomplished is high blood pressure and a waste of time. Something this is important is worth doing right the first time around.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums: What Can I Deduct?

By Terry Stanfield

When tax season comes, all anyone seems to talk about is deductions. Not surprisingly, one of the most common questions about long-term care insurance premiums is "Can I deduct them?"

Well, the truth is that you can, in some cases, so find out where you sit in terms of deduction scenarios to find out what you can deduct from your long-term care insurance premiums.

First of all, if you are an individual taxpayer that does not itemize, then you are unable to claim a deduction on your long-term care insurance premiums. However, if you do itemize deductions then you can deduct the health insurance premium but it is limited to the lesser of the actual premium, or eligible long-term care premium.

If you are a self-employed tax payer, including partnerships, members of LLC, or sole proprietors, then you are eligible for a self-employed health insurance deduction on your IRS Form but it is limited to the lesser of actual premium paid but it is not subject to the 7.5 percent of Adjusted Gross Income threshold.

If your premiums are paid for by an employer, the employer will treat the long-term care insurance premiums as accident and health plans. These premiums would then be deductible to the employer and would not be including in the income of the employee.

It can get a bit complicated to understand what you can deduct and what you cannot deduct when tax season comes around. As a result, it is important that you contact your tax adviser or accountant to find out exactly what you can and cannot do. You do not want to try and deduct something you cannot and then face an audit, and at the same time you do not want to neglect to deduct what you can, forcing you to pay more or receive less on your income tax rebate.

If you do your own taxes, then consult your insurance company to find out what you are able to deduct on the long-term care insurance premiums that you pay to them. The representatives should be more than helpful in answering your questions and ensuring you do not end up audited, or not deducting what you can.

Summary Tax season is a stressful time for citizens and accountants alike. It is a time of trying to figure out what to deduct, what to exclude and how to get as much bang for their buck as possible. As a result, people will try and deduct everything that they can, including long-term care insurance premiums.

Many do not realize, however, what they can deduct in terms of their long-term care insurance premiums, but if they take the time to research the tax information and figure out where they sit in terms of the type of taxpayer they are, they should be able to figure it out. In the worst case scenario, an individual should just ask for help from an accountant or insurance representative who will be happy to answer any questions.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

LCTi Myth: I Cannot Afford Long-Term Care Insurance

By Terry Stanfield

As the title of this says, the belief that you cannot afford long-term care insurance is nothing more than a myth. The truth of the matter is that everyone can afford long-term care insurance, and everyone who is interested in retirement planning should. The premiums are not high when they are compared with the long-term care cost that families, or the individual, will have to incur over the course of the long-term care life.

If you are worried that you cannot afford long-term care insurance, then start getting the premiums as early as you can. There is nothing wrong with a 30-year-old doing retirement planning. In fact, the younger you are, the lower your premiums are. Often, a 30-year-old will pay $100 or more less than a senior citizen will in their monthly insurance premiums to pay for their long-term care insurance. The types of young individuals who take the initiative to start retirement planning understand the long-term care cost they may have to pay for without the insurance, and they understand that nearly half of all those who use long-term care services are not over the age of 65.

Long-term care is incredibly important and an individual should make the effort to afford long-term care insurance because it will make things easier, financially speaking, on their family and themselves. Costs can run as high as $5,000 per month for long-term care, and without long-term care insurance, an individual's savings can disappear very quickly.

For the cost of cable television or monthly payments on that exercise machine you bought but never use, you can afford to pay your insurance premiums on your long-term care plan. There is no reason you cannot afford long-term care insurance when you make the effort to cut back on non-essentials. There is nothing more essential than making sure you have the money to get the long-term care you need in case you need help with your day-to-day activities.

Do not think that you will only need it when you are 80. Your life can change in an instant, and even at the young age of 40 you can require long-term care because of an accident, surgery, or illness. Christopher Reeve was healthy and fit at the age of 41, at the age of 42 he was paralyzed from the neck down because of a fall from a horse. He required long-term care for the rest of his life. If it can happen to Superman, it can happen to anyone.

Conclusion

If you believe the myth that only some can afford long-term care insurance, then you need to give your head a shake. Everyone, even if they have to cut back on that latte every day, can afford long-term care insurance when they make the initiative. Retirement planning for long-term care cost is an effective way of taking your future by the horns and ensuring your family does not have to pay for your care, thereby putting financial stresses on them as well. Everyone can afford long-term care insurance, it is just a matter of whether or not they want to take the initiative and pay for it.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

You Need Long Term Health Care Insurance, Here's Why

By Terry Stanfield

Years ago, people never bothered about long term care or thought about it. As parents aged, they often relied on their children to care for them. Today, most parents do not want to burden their children with their care in their old age. And people are living to a remarkable old age as well. This is one of the reasons why you should consider long term care insurance.

What is long term care insurance? Long term care insurance allows for you to provide for your own care if you happen to become incapacitated and need long term care. As people get older, there is a 70 percent chance that they will need some sort of long term care in their lives. While part of this care can be covered by Medicare, most of it is not. This is where long term care insurance steps in. It can cover what Medicare does not instead of allowing your care to eat away at your savings.

Who should get long term care insurance? We never know what the future will bring. It is advisable for you to plan for your future as there is a good chance that you may need long term care. This involves care in a rehabilitation facility as well as an assisted living residence. Most hospitals will send patients to rehabilitation facilities as soon as they are out of danger and Medicare does not cover much of those costs. This is why it is important for anyone to get long term care insurance - to plan for their future.

What type of plans are available? Your plan will depend on your age and health. You can get a plan that will pay $150 a day for your long term health care for up to four years. One of the best aspects about this type of plan is that the money is drawn out of the pool of money set aside in the plan for your long term care. Many times, people go to rehab and then are back out. When this occurs, you do not have to continue paying and your money stays safe in your plan, ready to be used again if you need it.

You can also get an inflation option on your long term care insurance package as well. As you know, $150 years from now will not be worth as much as $150 today. For a few dollars more a month, you can get an inflation rider on your insurance package.

One way to save money for the long term care insurance package is by getting a higher exclusion period. There are exclusion periods of 30, 60 and 90 days. This is similar to a deductible on auto insurance. The longer the exclusion period, the less expensive the policy.

Long term health care insurance is something for everyone to think about, no matter what health you are in. We never can be sure of what the future holds. It is best to be prepared with long term care insurance.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Long-Term Insurance Coverage: What to Look For?

By Terry Stanfield

If you have decided to get long-term insurance coverage, then you have taken the first steps to a financially stable and safe future in case of long-term care needs. However, if you have not, then you are going to need to get the insurance that will help make your life, and the lives of your family, much easier.

There are many factors to look for when you are getting long-term care insurance coverage, and we will cover the most important in this article. Overall, you want to make sure that the long-term care insurance coverage policy you get is going to cover you for everything you need in case you need long-term care. Factor in your current financial situation, your savings, and more.

1. Make sure that the financial strength of the long-term care insurance coverage carrier has financial strength. This is because most policyholders will not receive the benefits of the coverage plan they are paying into for as much as ten to 30 years, so you need to make sure the company will still be around then.

2. You should find out about the daily benefit of the long-term care insurance coverage plan. It can cost up to as much as $100 to $200 per day for long-term care services, so make sure your plan will cover that.

3. Inflation is a terrible thing, but it is nearly unstoppable, so you should factor it into any long-term care insurance coverage plan you get. A nursing home right now currently costs about $130 per day, while in 14 years that will be $260 per day at a five percent growth rate. Inflation is a very important part of any long-term care coverage plan. Do not forget about it or you could end up with too little money, too late.

4. Making sure you have comprehensive coverage that will cover home care, nursing home care and more.

5. Look at the claims process of the company you are looking at using, including finding out what the claims process is and how many filed claims have been paid.

6. Find out about stable premiums. Long-term care insurance coverage providers can raise premiums, so find out about their rate of increases before you go with them.

Conclusion When you get long-term care insurance, you need to make sure that the insurance is not going to leave you just as worse off because you did not do your research. You should find out about the plans they offer, what their coverage is like, the claims process and factor in for inflation.

Doing this means you will not be left high and dry when it comes time to get your long-term care insurance claim processed. You do not want to have to pay out $200 per day from your savings every month because you only factored in a $75 daily charge for a nursing home. Plan ahead, do your research and get the help of the a long-term care agent that represents many long term care providers, you will not be sorry.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Who Can Afford Long Term Care Insurance?

By Terry Stanfield

Insurance is a wonderful thing. It gives us the peace of mind knowing that someone has our back, and it provides us with the security we need in the event of an accident that can alter the course of our lives. Long-term care insurance is no different, but many feel they cannot get it because they do not know how they will afford long-term care insurance. The question then comes up about who can afford long-term care insurance.

Many will wait for their near retirement to get long-term care insurance, because at that point the prospect of needing help with activities that we take for granted are only a decade or more away. As a result, many of those who get long-term care insurance are past the age of retirement and they are the ones who pay into it.

However, it is important for the young to understand that long-term care insurance is incredibly important for them as well. Anything can happen in the future and nothing is certain. Nearly half of the people who collect on long-term care insurance are individuals who are below the age of 65. This is because accidents or illnesses that require an individual to seek help with day-to-day activities, even for only a few months, are needed at any age.

So, who can afford long-term care insurance? Well, the short answer is that everyone can. When you are young, you will be able to get long-term care insurance at reduced premiums because there is a much smaller chance you will need it before you are 70. However, if you wait until you are 65, you will pay more. You should look at paying for long-term care insurance the minute you can comfortably do so, and when you have enough finances and assets that you want to protect from a possible life-altering disability. You do not want to be in a situation where you cannot afford to pay your premiums, so you need to wait until you can afford to do so, without setting yourself back. Generally, at that point in your life, you will also have enough finances and assets that you will want to protect them in the event that you need long-term care.

Summary Long-term care is an important part of any future planning for an individual and their family. It will ensure that in the event you need long-term care, you will be covered by the long-term care insurance. However, not being able to afford long-term care insurance can be a problem, but there are so many options to go through with long-term care insurance, you should be able to find at least something that will assist you in the event you need it.

Try and get the insurance when you are younger because it will cost much less, but if you can't, try and get it, even the lowest plan, at some point. Remember, even a little bit of long-term care insurance is better than none, so look into getting the long-term care insurance that will give you the peace of mind you need.

You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Guide, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Six Things Your Mama didn't tell you about LTCi quotes.

By Terry Stanfield

When looking at a long term care insurance quote, there are many factors which can determine the cost to you. This article will give you six important points you should consider when looking at a ltci quote. Much of this is determined by type of benefits you want, your age, and which company you want to work with. This will allow you to be an educated consumer when purchasing this insurance product.

Looking at long term care insurance quotes, what you want your policy to include and when you receive your policy will cause changes in the quotes you will receive. This article will give you more information about what companies you should look for among other factors.

The types of benefits you receive will help determine your cost of long-term care. These types of benefits can include whether you will receive in-home services, care at a nursing home or from services based in your community.

Your age is going to determine the cost of the policy. If you are younger and buying a policy, you will almost certainly receive a lower premium.

You will want to look at different types of companies. Your employer may be able to offer this type of insurance or you may want to look at individual companies.

Your quote can be contingent upon how you want benefits to be paid out. Some policies allow you to spend a certain maximum in whatever way you want while others offer a maximum based upon a daily, weekly, or monthly time frame.

The age at which you can start using your benefits will be a question that an insurance agent will ask you.

You will want to think about what kind of daily benefits you will receive. Your quote will be higher when you want higher daily benefits.

Hopefully this has given you good information regarding long term care insurance quotes. More information is always better so that you have an idea what to expect and you can have thought through what you want out of your policy.

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Quote, ask questions and request a long term care insurance. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Life in the fast lane: instant approval credit cards

By Rebecca Gold

Instant decision credit cards really do exist and can be applied for and received in as little as a week. Instant decision means just that. When you apply for the card you will be give a decision there and then immediately. You can apply for this type of card over the phone or in person at a bank, but the most common way is through an online application. This is hardly surprising, considering that Internet card use has quadrupled in the last five years. So how do you go about find and applying for this type of card and how does it really work?

Firstly, you need to know that an instant decision card is the decision process used, and not the card itself. Instant decision can be applied to all card types; be they cashback cards, reward cards or 0% cards. It is not a card type in itself. This means that you will still have to follow the standard card application procedure up to a point. You will still need to analyse your own spending habits and requirements and match them to a card type. Once you have done this you can view all of the instant decision cards that match your criteria, for example cashback cards. Once you have found the card for you, simply visit the provider's website and fill out the online application form.

With an instant approval credit card you can apply for the card and be accepted in seconds. However, don't let that phrase fool you. Just because a card is advertised as an 'Instant Approval' card, does not necessarily mean that you will be approved. Perhaps a more accurate term would be an 'Instant Decision' card. Although you can get instant approval over the phone and in person at a branch, applying online can be even quicker. It's a simple process of visiting the card provider's website, filling out a form and hitting the 'apply' button. After a few moments you will find out whether you have been accepted for the card. Some companies are now offering 60 second instant approval, which is going to be pretty hard to beat.

So how does this work? Surely the companies have to do a credit check to make sure you're not a high risk customer? The card provider's computer system contacts one of the three main credit-referencing agencies, and checks your credit rating against the information you have provided. Your credit rating is basically a report detailing your repayment habits, your credit limits, and your personal details. It is a snapshot of your financial character. If you have a good credit rating and the information on your online form correlates then you have a very high chance of being accepted. Because the whole system is automated, it is a lot faster than the old fashioned way of banks having to read through forms manually and then apply for your credit details. The bank's computer system links directly with that of the credit referencing agency they have chosen to use.

But is it truly instantaneous? Well this is a tricky question. It will depend on a number of factors. If you have a strong credit rating, yes. If there is some doubt, then your application will be sent for further verification, which means that you may yet be declined or that the process will take even longer. Sometimes banks offer 'instant decision' credit cards. With this the bank gives you a potential yes or no and then goes on to do the usual checks.

You will now be hoping that another card will be added to the 145 million cards currently in use in this country and this may well be the case. The whole process is surprisingly simple and can be very quick. You simply find the card of your choice online, through a price comparison site, apply for the card and, if you have a strong credit rating and all goes well, you are accepted. The card will then be sent to you and here you will have to wait, no matter what the decision. Luckily, with instant approval credit cards, you may find you new card arrives in a matter of days, rather than weeks.

About the Author:

Rebecca Gold has many years experience in the financial sector, she now writes for various popular websites. Read more about the Instant approval credit card and the Credit card application here.