About Pennsylvania Long Term Care

Long Term Care is the care you require when you need help with Activities of Daily Living, such as walking, eating, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, etc. The need for this assistance usually results from aging or a disabling physical or mental condition. Long Term Care services can be received in the home or in a facility. Long Term Care services are expensive today, and costs are rising at a rate greater than inflation. In Pennsylvania, the average cost for a semi private room in a Nursing Home is $86,934 per year.

In-home care is equally expensive. Skilled and unskilled Home Care in Pennsylvania currently average $32 per hour, and round-the-clock care at home can cost $90,000 or more per year. Analysts predict that the increase in demand for these services will cause Long Term Care costs to rise at least 5% a year. If the cost of care increases at this projected rate, three years’ worth of full-time home care could top over $540,000 by the year 2024.

Sadly, most people do not realize how expensive Long Term Care is until they or their loved ones need care.

There is a strong likelihood that most of us will require Long Term Care assistance at some point before we die. The Brooking Institute estimates that the average 65-year-old person has only a 20% chance of having no Long Term Care expenses in a nursing home or at home during their lifetime. The remaining 80% of us will have some expenses.

Long Term Care Insurance in Pennsylvania  covers the cost of Long Term Care, picking up where health and disability insurance leave off. People who need care overwhelmingly prefer to receive assistance in their homes where they are comfortable and with friends and family. That’s why today’s Long Term Care Insurance policies in Pennsylvania are designed to help you receive the high-quality care you need at home. Of course, if you receive care in an assisted living facility, a nursing home, or an adult day care facility, those costs are covered as well.

People buy Long Term Care insurance to protect their wealth, their dignity and their range of care choices. No matter how well off you are financially, the cost of Long Term Care could severely impact your life’s savings. A Long Term Care insurance policy will protect your Savings and the income from your Savings. These policies help maintain your independence, and in turn your dignity. When there are abundant funds available, everything is a bit easier!

Long Term Care insurance gives you more control over where and how you receive care. It also lets you preserve your assets for other uses – enjoying retirement living, leaving an inheritance for your children or charity or ensuring the lifestyle you desire.

Medicare, Medigap and private health plans provide little or no Long Term Care coverage. These plans are intended to pay for hospital and doctor care, not the extended or personal care you would need if you required Long Term Care. Disability insurance typically will replace 50% to 70% of your income, but only during your working years. It does not provide the additional resources you would need to pay for Long Term Care services. And Medicaid, our state program for the impoverished, only pays for long-term care after you have exhausted almost all of your own assets.

The fact is, most Long Term Care is paid for directly by individuals and their families. This means tapping into hard-earned savings that were never really intended to pay for Long Term Care.

The average Long-Term Care costs for Nursing Home and Home Health Care Services
for the major cities in PA* are listed below.

 *Source: MetLife Mature Market Institute, September

 If you are interested in Long Term Care Insurance but are not sure whether you can afford it, you should work with a Long-Term Care Specialist. An Experienced Specialist can show you ways to save money on your premium, and can help you design a policy that will fit comfortably within your budget.

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