FL Average daily benefit purchased: $ 145 per day.
There are over 19,000,000 people living in Florida, making it our nation’s fourth most populous state and one of the largest state consumers of Long Term Care services (including care in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities and Home Health Care). According to the US Census, Florida has almost 3.4 million residents aged 65 years or older. This high number of seniors in the Sunshine State will increasingly need and use Long Term Care putting economic stress on families and the state. In 2011 the total Long Term Care Medicad expenses alone in Florida were $4.8 billion, and the total expenses (Medicaid and private combined) were $11.2 billion.
Long Term Care Insurance is an important retirement planning tool, and Floridians have the choice of 13 great Long Term Care Insurance companies that can help protect their savings in the event they need Long Term Care services.
The Florida Long Term Care Partnership program is a joint partnership between the state’s Medicaid program and the insurance companies. The program was approved by the state legislature in 2005 (effective date of Jan 1, 2007), and it was designed to help Floridians protect their assets by providing an incentive to buy a Long Term Care Insurance policy. Those who purchase a Long Term Care insurance policy through the Florida Long Term Care Partnership program are protected both by their private policy and eventually, if needed, by Medicaid.
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Florida, like many states, has instituted a program to tackle the problem of lack of Long Term Care Insurance coverage for its residents via a partnership program between private industry and the State. Florida’s population is rapidly aging and awareness of the need for Long Term Care Insurance remains low.
This article aims to highlight Florida Partnership Requirements, unique Florida Partnership features, and provide a resource to receive competitive Florida Partnership quotes and comparisons.
- What defines Long Term Care?
Long Term Care Insurance covers the cost of services such as nursing homes, in-home care and assisted-living care when one is unable to care for themselves and is not covered by regular health insurance and only by Medicaid if one qualifies, which can be difficult without exhausting all of your assets. - Why Florida Instituted a Partnership Plan: The Looming Problem of Long Term Care
The Florida Long Term Care Insurance partnership program aims to encourage residents to purchase private Long Term Care Insurance. Beyond that, Florida as a state has an incentive to offer this as the private insurers then carry the most lilkely LTC risk – the first several years. By acting as a safety net for the outliers that need longer care periods, Florida is encouraging uptake of Long Term Care Insurance. - A recent study found that 7 in 10 Americans have made no plans for long-term care and many were not even aware of this type of insurance and what it covers. And, given that the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 2/3 of all Americans will need long-term care at some point after they pass age 65, this does, indeed, constitute a problem to be reckoned with. Many Americans, regardless of the state in which they live, are now at risk of having to exhaust their nest egg or rely on their children or other relatives to care for them in retirement should they become unable to care for themselves.
How Florida Residents Can Participate
So, we know why the states want Partnership plans and have put these laws on the books. What about the consumer? Florida, like many states, aims to reward those who do their part in solving this problem of Long Term Care Insurance coverage by planning ahead and protecting themselves and their assets. Basically, it works like this: purchasers of partnership policies are eligible for dollar-for-dollar Medicaid asset protection which means that Partnership Plans help provide you with asset protection in the event you use your policy benefits and need to seek continued benefits through Medicaid. This enables partnership policyholders to shield their assets should they need to apply for Medicaid as normally one is required to exhaust all assets before qualifying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage.
- Long-Term Care Partnership policies are tax qualified (a portion of premiums paid may be claimed as a tax deduction) under federal law
- Plans provide policyholders with inflation protection
- And most importantly, plans provide dollar-for-dollar asset protection in the event the policyholder needs to apply for long-term care Medicaid assistance. For every dollar that a partnership policy pays out in benefits, a dollar of assets can be protected from Medicaid spend-down requirements.
Florida Long Term Care Costs
Florida residents who are interested in planning their financial future should be familiar with the cost of long term care in various areas of the state. Based on the 2018 cost of care survey by Genworth Financial, here are the annual long term care costs in various regions of the Sunshine State.
| Long Term Care Cost Florida – 2018 (Annually) | |||||
| REGION | PRIVATE NURSING HOME ROOM | SEMI-PRIVATE NURSING HOME ROOM | ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE | ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY (PRIVATE ROOM) | HOME HEALTH AIDE (44 HOURS WEEKLY) |
| State Median | $108,770 | $97,820 | $17,550 | $42,000 | $46,904 |
| Miami Area | $118,625 | $104,390 | $16,900 | $40,200 | $41,184 |
| Cape coral area | $106,580 | $99,645 | $18,850 | $48,000 | $52,624 |
| CrestView area | $104,025 | $94,900 | $19,500 | $50,340 | $48,048 |
| Deltona area | $107,310 | $95,813 | $17,550 | $46,200 | $49,764 |
| GainesVille | $127,750 | $96,725 | $16,640 | $45,300 | $45,760 |
| Homosassa Springs | $109,500 | $93,623 | – | $49,500 | $44,456 |
| Jacksonville | $97,455 | $85,410 | $24,960 | $53,100 | $51,480 |
| Lakeland area | $109,135 | $99,645 | $16,380 | $33,690 | $41,184 |
| Naples area | $151,475 | $123,826 | – | $65,370 | $54,912 |
| North Port area | $118,625 | $104,025 | $22,880 | $46,485 | $52,624 |
| Ocala | $107,675 | $89,425 | $16,900 | $39,300 | 48,048 |
| Orlando area | $106,398 | $97,273 | $15,600 | $39,300 | $48,048 |
| Palm Bay area | $104,755 | $100,375 | $16,900 | $45,000 | $45,760 |
| Panama city | $102,565 | $89,425 | . | $50,400 | $52,624 |
| Pensacola area | $105,120 | $93,805 | $16,900 | $49,149 | $43,472 |
| Port St.Lucie | $105,485 | $93,075 | $18,200 | $43,440 | $45,760 |
| Punta Gorda | $112,785 | $102,018 | $20,800 | $40,800 | $52,624 |
| Sebastian area | $110,413 | $100,010 | $15,600 | $42,288 | $50,336 |
| Sebring | $103,113 | $85,775, | $16,900 | $36,450 | $45,760 |
| Tallahassee | $109,500 | $93,805 | $14,950 | $52,065 | $49,192 |
| Tampa area | $115,705 | $99,828 | $22,880 | $39,000 | $49,146 |
| The Villages | $102,383 | $96,908 | $19,500 | $60,375 | $48,048 |
| Rest Of State | $98,003 | $87,600 | $16,900 | $36,000 | $45,760 |
Florida Long Term Care Premium Costs
Different LTC companies sell their plans at different prices. Other factors that affect the cost of premiums include the following:
- Age – the younger you are, the cheaper the premiums you have to pay for your Florida LTC policy.
- Daily Benefit – this is the maximum amount that a policy will pay out for one day of care.
- Benefit Limit – this is the duration of time (in years) through which the policy will pay out benefits.
- Inflation Protection – LTC insurance plans with inflation protection tend to attract steeper premiums.
- Elimination Period – this is the duration of time through which policyholders pay for care out of pocket before the insurance plan kicks in.
- Tax Benefits – depending on your filing status, some or all of your premiums may be tax-deductible.
LTC Tree insurance specialists will help you find a policy that offers the best terms at the most attractive premium rate. Our process entails delivering competing quotes from the top insurers in the state and helping you land marriage discount and other discounts that can drastically reduce the cost of your premiums.
Florida Long Term Care FAQs
→ What is the best age for buying LTC insurance?
We recommend that you purchase long term care insurance while you’re in your fifties or early sixties (at the latest). Keep in mind that the younger you are, the lower the premiums. Also, you’re more likely to suffer from medical conditions that nullify your eligibility for the preferred health discount, which can make your policy much more expensive. The point is to get insured as soon as you can, especially if you’re over the age of 50. You don’t want to wait until after you need care to start scrambling for solutions.
→ What does LTC insurance cover?
Long term care insurance is a comprehensive option may cover quality care at home, in a nursing home, adult daycare, or assisted living facility. Keep in mind that for patients who are receiving care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, these policies do not cover the cost of housing. Some policies have provisions for covering future services that aren’t developed yet.
→ What’s the cost of LTC insurance in Florida?
There’s no standardization for long term care plans in Florida. Different policies from different companies – and with varying features – have different prices. For instance, a 55-year old Floridian who’s looking for a standard plan that can deliver over $170,000 in benefits may have to pay about $1,000 in premiums each year. Someone aged 65 years and looking for a total benefit pool of $276,000 would pay around $3,275 in annual premiums. LTC Tree insurance specialists can help you pinpoint a policy that best fits your budget and unique circumstances.
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