As of December 31, 2012, 264,000 people were getting long-term care insurance benefit payments, according to a report by the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance (AALTCI). Last year, insurers paid $6.6 billion in benefits to people needing care at home, in assisted living communities, and in skilled nursing facilities, says Jesse Slome, director of AALTCI.
According to the Association, leading causes for long-term care insurance claims include Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, arthritis, and cancer. Female policyholders account for roughly two-thirds of all long-term care insurance claims and benefit dollars. Home care accounts for half of all newly opened individual insurance claims. For more information, visit www.aaltci.org.