long term life insurance

Advertisement What is a long-term care benefit plan?
Anyone in possession of an in-force life insurance policy has the ability to transform that policy into a pre-funded financial account that will disburse a monthly benefit stipend to help pay for that individual's long term care needs. Unlike life insurance, a long-term care benefit plan account is a Medicaid qualified asset. (Learn how life insurance can affect Medicaid eligibility)

The conversion process transfers ownership of a life insurance policy from the original holder, to an entity that acts as the benefits administrator. Because the original owner no longer holds the policy, it won't count against them in the Medicaid spend down process.
The benefits administrator assumes all responsibility for paying the monthly premiums on the policy to the insurance company, and agrees to pay the previous policy holder a series of monthly payments based on the value of their policy. These payments can then be used to pay for a person's home care, nursing home, hospice care and assisted living costs.
If this process sounds unfamiliar, don't worry, you're not alone. Most people don't know that the long-term care benefit conversion option exists.
"For the last 100 years, anyone who's owned a life insurance policy has had the right to do this," says Chris Orestis, co-founder and CEO of Life Care Funding, a company specializing in life insurance policy conversions. "The problem is that most people are unaware that this option exists."
Examples of paying for care by converting life insurance
To give you a better idea of how life insurance policy conversion works, consider the following examples:
Allowing a loved one to age in place
Mary (names have been changed) has been taking care of her husband, Bill, who has dementia, in their home. Lately, Bill's condition has deteriorated to the point where Mary can no longer look after him by herself. Together, Mary and Bill own a life insurance policy worth $20,500. Mary cannot continue to make the payments on this policy and considers letting it lapse. Instead, she ends up converting it into a long-term care benefit plan that pays $350 every month, for 15 months, enough money to hire a home caregiver to help her take care of Bill. She as also able to retain $1,028 in the account for future funeral expenses. Advertisement