Released: June 28, 2007

Long term care insurance has pros, cons

Source: John Waggoner, USA Today

Long-term care insurance is a wonderful thing,” says Judy Koehler, a state government worker in Southfield, Mich. Koehler’s mother, Lillian Jurcak, spent four months in a hospital in 1998 with emphysema before she died. Long-term care insurance paid most of the bill, and did so promptly.

Unfortunately, many people’s experiences with long-term care insurance have been far from wonderful. Hilda Puth, a Southern California homemaker, took out a long-term care policy on herself in 2001 because her husband, George, had been disabled by a stroke. She wanted to be sure that if she, too, became disabled, someone would be able to take care of her in her home.

When Puth needed knee-replacement surgery, her policy was supposed to pay $100 a day for home health services. But her insurer denied the claim. Its reason: It couldn’t determine whether the home aide would be helping Hilda or George — even though George had his own care arrangements.

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