Comparing Long Term Care Insurance Quotes

Shopping around for long-term care insurance can be easy for you if you are familiar with the different options and know what to look for in a long-term care insurance quote. 

You may experience difficulties, however, when trying to compare long term care insurance quotes from different long term care insurance companies because the companies may use different terminology to describe the same benefit. 

For example, one long term care insurance company may call its inflation protection "5% Simple," while another company may use the term "5% Equal."

Even more challenging for you is when you receive various long term care insurance quotes for benefits that are not alike, whatsoever.

It is like comparing "Apples-to-Oranges", to use a popular phrase.

Here are some tips to help you compare long term care insurance quotes that may be markedly different.

Is the daily benefit the same?

If all other benefits are equal, the change in premium by either increasing or decreasing the daily benefit is linear.

Thus, the premium for a $150 daily benefit will always cost 50% more premium than a quote for a $100 daily benefit.

Is the benefit period or the "pool of money" the same?

Most policies determine your "pool of money" by multiplying your daily benefit by your benefit period (number of years).  Some long term care insurance policies, however, do not use benefit periods to determine the policy benefit limit.  These policies may simply sell insurance benefits to you in a fixed dollar amount, i.e. $250,000.  It is important to properly compare your long term care insurance policy benefit limit.

Is the long term care insurance inflation protection the same?

Long term care insurance inflation protection is the single biggest factor to understand when comparing long term care insurance quotes.

Many long term care insurance agents may purposefully "low-ball" a long term care insurance quote by not including an automatic 5% compound inflation protection.

Many long term care insurance quotes will simply "low-ball" the quote by only including a "guaranteed future purchase option" to address future inflation of long term care costs.

A long term care insurance policy with a guaranteed purchase option (GPO) or no inflation protection may cost 60% less premium than the cost of a policy with automatic 5% compound inflation protection.

A policy with 5% simple inflation protection may cost 30% less premium than a policy that includes 5% compound inflation.  Likewise, a policy with 3% compound inflation may cost 30%-40% less premium than a policy that includes 5% compound inflation.

We understand that for most consumers like you these inflation protection options may be confusing.  It is OK.  We have even found that most long term care insurance agents do not have a skilled working knowledge of the proper inflation option to elect.

LTC Partner will help you to understand your different long term care insurance policy inflation options.

In order of your least valuable inflation protection to your most valuable, your long term care insurance quote may contain any one of the following inflation protection options:

Comparing Long Term Care Quotes-Inflation Protection Ranking

• No Inflation Protection
• Guaranteed Purchase Option (GPO)
• CPI Compound
• 3% Compound
• 5% Simple or Equal
• 5% Compound 2x Cap
• 5% Compound 20 Years Cap
• 5% Compound (Best)

Premiums can vary significantly depending upon which inflation option is included in your long term care insurance quote. 

To place your long term care insurance quotes on an even playing field and to avoid being "low-balled" by an agent, LTC Partner advises you to always ask for the automatic 5% compound inflation protection to be quoted for you. Especially if you are age 69 or younger.

Group long term care insurance polices may not offer an automatic 5% compound option. Every individual long term care insurance company will offer you this option, however.

Is Home Care paid out at 100%?

Some long term care insurance quotes you receive will only offer home health care at a reduced payout, maybe 50% of your nursing home daily benefit.

Most group long term care insurance plans automatically reduce the home care payout to 50% or 60% of the nursing home benefit.

If you are like most people, you probably wish to receive your care in your home.  Make sure your long term care insurance quote is for a 100% home health care benefit.

LTC Partner always recommends a 100% home care benefit.

Is the health classification being quoted the same, and the accurate class you may qualify for?

If you have received one quote at “Standard health” and one quote at “Preferred health,” your quotes will be different.

Quotes are not binding, and are not indicative of an offer.  An agent can "quote" any health classification it wishes to quote.  It has no bearing on your final approved offer.

Is the insurance company being quoted one of the best long term care insurance companies?

A fair premium is important, but just as important is the financial strength and stability of the long term care insurance company as well as the company's experience in underwriting long term care insurance.  The best long term care insurance companies will have at least an "A" rating from AM Best.

Current financial ratings of the best long term care insurance companies.

As you can tell, there are many factors that will impact your long term care insurance quote.  If you wish, I will provide you with side-by-side "apples-to-apples" pricing of every long term care insurance provider in your State. 

Receive Free Long Term Care Insurance Quotes

With my long term care insurance quote software I can help you quickly compare pricing, features and benefits of each long term care insurance company and select the policy that is right for you.  Simply call me toll free at 1-800-891-5824 or complete my long term care insurance quote request form.