Life Insurance with a Long-Term Care Rider

How a long-term care rider works

Here’s what you can expect from a long-term care rider:

Requirements

To qualify for a long-term care rider, you must be chronically ill and unable to perform at least two of the six activities of daily living. In addition, you need a care plan in place with proper documentation.

Waiting period

Many life insurance companies have a waiting period that might be anywhere from 20 to 100 days.³ For example, if the waiting period is 90 days, it means you can’t access long-term care rider benefits before the 90 days are up. You may receive coverage at any time after this period.

Payout

If you’re eligible for a long-term care rider, your life insurance company may distribute the payout, which will likely be a percentage of your death benefit every month. While each rider is unique, monthly allowed amounts might be between 1% to 3% of the death benefit.²

What expenses can a long-term care rider cover?

A long-term care rider is designed to help pay for expenses that a traditional health insurance policy won’t cover, such as:²

• Long-term care
• Nursing home stays
• Home health care services
• Private nursing care

Life insurance long-term care rider cost

The cost of a long-term care rider will depend on the life insurance company you choose. While many riders can be added on for a flat fee, long-term care riders are typically priced as a standalone product. This makes them more expensive and may add anywhere from $600 to $800 to your premiums annually.²

How to get a life insurance long-term care rider

You can get a long-term care rider when you first purchase a life insurance policy. After doing some research online to compare life insurance companies and types of policies, get a few quotes and choose an option that meets your coverage needs. Then, you can fill out an application and take the medical exam. Once the underwriting process is complete, you can receive coverage and start paying premiums.

Is a long-term care rider worth it?

The cost of long-term care does not come cheap. In fact, it can cost nearly $9,000 per month to stay in a private room at a nursing home.² If you’d like to ensure you can afford end-of-life costs, a long-term care rider is worth considering. But if you already have savings available for long-term care or don’t want to spend the extra money on a rider, you may decide you don’t need this product.

Aflac offers life insurance riders

A long-term care rider can come in handy if you become chronically ill and need services like nursing home care and home health care, as traditional health insurance doesn’t cover these expenses. Aflac does not currently offer a long-term care rider but, you might want to explore other riders that Aflac does offer, such as the accelerated death benefit rider and the waiver of premium rider. Contact Aflac today for more information on our life insurance policies and get a quote.