Many people think they may not qualify for long-term care insurance due to age or health. In fact, nationally, nearly one-third of people who apply for traditional long-term care insurance are turned down. Compromised health is a reason many people don’t qualify, but one of the biggest factors is they are applying to the wrong company based on their health and age.
As certified long-term care planning specialists, we pre-screen all applicants and work with all the major companies who offer long-term care plans. This allows us to help set up plans for nearly all our applicants. And we work with clients up to age 85!
Asset-Based Plans
Asset-based plans are perhaps the easiest for which to qualify. Below are 5 questions. If you can answer NO to these questions, you will be a good candidate for an Asset-Based Long-Term care plan. If you answer YES, there may still be an alternative option; contact us with questions.
- Do you currently use any of these mechanical devices: wheelchair, walker, dialysis machine, oxygen equipment, respirator, or stair lift?
- Do you currently need or receive help in doing any of the following: bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring in to and out of a bed, chair, or wheelchair; and/or maintaining continence?
- Have you ever been diagnosed as having or been told by a medical doctor that you have AIDS, HIV, or ARC disorders, or tested positive for antibodies for the AIDS virus?
- Do you currently have, or have you ever had, a diagnosis or symptoms of: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or memory loss? Multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), or Parkinson’s disease?
- Are you unable to walk four blocks or climb two flights of stairs?
Traditional Plans
Traditional plans can be more difficult to qualify for and have a more extensive list of conditions that will disqualify applicants from coverage. We have included a list of conditions and medications that most companies will not accept. Please contact us directly if you are concerned about qualifying as not all cases are treated equally. We can pre-screen your situation and let you know what programs will consider you for coverage.
Antabuse®, Aricept®, Artane®, Avonex®, Azilect, Betaseron®, Campral®, Cogentin®, Cognex®, Comtan®, Copaxone®, Depade, Donepezil, Eldepryl®, Exelon®, Fentanyl, Galantamine, Hydergine®, Interferon®, Larodopa®/L-Dopa, Lucemyra, Memantine, Methadone, Mirapex®, Namenda®, Namzaric, Parlodel®, Permax®, Razadyne®, Reminyl®, ReVia®, Rivastigmine®, Sinemet®, Suboxone®,
Symmetrelº, Vivitrol®
Some of these medications may be considered if taking for a different reason than normally prescribed.
- Activity of daily living deficits (need help with any of the ADL’s)
- Alcoholism (active)
- Alzheimer’s/Dementia
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Balance disorder/Gait impairment
- Cerebral palsy
- Cirrhosis
- Depression (severe or hospitalized in the last 5 years)
- Down syndrome
- Drug addiction/illicit drug use (within last ten years)
- HIV positive
- Huntington’s disease
- Memory loss
- Mental retardation
- Multiple myeloma
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Muscular dystrophy
- Organ transplant (except kidney)
- Organic brain syndrome
- Osteoporosis with compression fracture
- Paralysis (paraplegia/quadriplegia)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pregnancy (current)
- Stroke (multiple or residual effects)
- Surgery pending (will review after)
- Ventricular tachycardia