By Louis H. Brownstone The California Legislature and Governor Newsom recently proposed establishing a statewide public long-term care insurance program.  The central goals are to aid our citizens as they age and become sick and to reduce the billions of dollars of growing long-term care costs to Medi-Cal. Citizens should make their voices heard regarding this program because as much as they would like to have long-term care protection, they would have to be taxed in order to cover the cost.  They will have to weigh the costs versus the benefits and in the end will probably have to v ..read more

MONEYWATCH: MANAGING YOUR MONEY  BY JOSHUA RODRIGUEZ NOVEMBER 28, 2023 / 10:54 AM EST / CBS NEWS Long-term care insurance is good for far more than simply paying for nursing homes. MASKOT/GETTY IMAGES You have a nearly 70% chance of needing some form of long-term care by the time you turn 65, and that care can be expensive. If you’ve looked into how you’ll pay for it, you may have come across the option for long-term care insurance. This unique type of insurance is designed to help cover the large and growing cost of long-term care. But what exactly doe ..read more

The United States has no coherent system for providing long-term care, leading many who are aging to struggle to stay independent or to rely on a patchwork of solutions. By Reed Abelson and Jordan Rau   Published Nov. 14, 2023Updated Nov. 15, 2023, 1:26 p.m. ET Reed Abelson is a health care reporter for The Times and Jordan Rau is a reporter for KFF Health News. They interviewed dozens of families and experts for the Dying Broke series, a joint project on long-term care. Margaret Newcomb, 69, a retired French teacher, is desperately trying to prot ..read more

November is Long Term Care Awareness month!   There are various factors that you should consider if you delay planning for how to would handle a long-term care event: Life’s unpredictable: No one can predict when or if a chronic illness will strike. Waiting to buy coverage could result in being ineligible or having limited options should you experience a change in health. Increasing cost: The longer you wait to purchase long-term care coverage, the higher your premiums will be as you age. Risk putting the burden on others: Without a plan, many families are left to make decisions ..read more

San Francisco Chronicle – Long Term Care planning article Kellie Hwang Sep. 28, 2023 Updated: Oct. 1, 2023 4:23 p.m. Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., after her hospitalization from shingles on May 11. The dispute involving the estate of her late husband illustrates the harsh reality of the costs of in-home health care, experts say. In the weeks before Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death, her health struggles after a bout with shingles and extended absence from the Senate highlighted an issue that has implications for many Americans. A k ..read more

A new, mandatory tax which would provide minimal long-term care benefits for California’s citizens has now been recommended by the California Task Force for Long Term Care. Here’s the brief background.  The California Task Force for Long-Term Care was established “to explore the feasibility of developing and implementing a culturally competent statewide insurance program for long-term care services and supports.”  The Task force has a committee of fifteen members, consisting mostly of California Department of Insurance employees and representatives of caregiving organizations. The Ta ..read more

The post Got a minute? That’s all you need to find out what long-term care insurance is and if you may need it. appeared first on California Long Term Care Insurance Services ..read more

Opinion: How to think through the risk of big expenses for long-term care Published: Oct. 27, 2021 at 9:45 a.m. ET By Wade D. Pfau No retirement income plan is complete without a plan for potential long-term care expenses No retirement income plan is complete without a proper consideration of how to plan most effectively for potential long-term care expenses. However, this matter is often overlooked or avoided. Many are unwilling to confront the questions and possibilities related to losing their own independence. Psychologically, no one likes thinking about the possibility of bein ..read more

This country is in a dour mood in my opinion.  We’ve become a nation of complainers.  This is especially true when we talk about politics.  Starting fights over alleged issues seems to work better for politicians than asking voters to credit them for their achievement. There are so many things we should be grateful for, but we’ve gotten into a bad rut. If one looks on the negative side of life, there are plenty of problematic issues.  Here’s my top ten, by no means a complete list: President Trump tried to retain power and threatened our democracy; Republicans vs. Democrat ..read more

“No retirement income plan is complete without a plan for potential long-term care expenses” published by MarketWatch 10-27-2021 By Wade D. Pfau No retirement income plan is complete without a proper consideration of how to plan most effectively for potential long-term care expenses. However, this matter is often overlooked or avoided. Many are unwilling to confront the questions and possibilities related to losing their own independence. Psychologically, no one likes thinking about the possibility of being unable to effectively handle the basic activities of daily living. It is a natural resp ..read more