Three reasons long-term care insurance is important

Women typically live longer than men, with half of women living until at least age 90. As a result, women may spend twice as many years needing care and, consequently, twice as much money on care.1 Building financial strategies now can provide you with options for long-term care, including where you receive it and by whom.
When a husband needs long-term care, his wife often acts as primary caregiver. But many women are widowed by the time they need care and don’t have a spousal caregiver in the home. In that situation, choices become more limited unless you’ve prepared in advance.
There are a number of strategies that can offer you greater control over your long-term care needs when they arise, thereby reducing the need to rely on your children for care or financial support. It’s empowering to make choices regarding the type and location of care you receive.
You may expect you’ll be able to turn to Medicare or Medicaid to help pay for long-term care. In reality, this may not be an option, as these programs have:
1 “The Impact of Retirement Risk on Women,” Society of Actuaries/WISER, 2009
2 “What Is the Distribution of Lifetime Health Care Costs from Age 65?” Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, March 2010
3 Age Wave/Harris Interactive Survey, “America Talks: Protecting Our Families’ Financial Futures,” as quoted in “Long-term Care: A Silent Concern,” www.financial-planning.com, April 13, 2010
Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C.