For most people, thinking about estate planning means focusing on what will happen to their money after they pass away. But that misses one pretty significant consideration: the need to plan for long-term care.
The last thing any of us want to contend with when a health issue arises later in life is having to throw together a hasty estate planning solution in the face of mounting medical costs. Your best defense is careful planning with the help of a trusted expert.
Whether the care you will need takes place in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or with an in-home provider, the costs can mount with alarming speed. And if you haven’t taken the necessary measures, your inheritance planning may be all for naught if your assets are depleted in order to pay for your care.
It’s impossible to know what life will bring, but we can certainly make educated guesses. For example, are there any major diseases that run in your family? There is a chance you will have the good fortune of staying healthy well into your golden years, but estate planning is an aspect of your financial life in which it’s helpful to protect yourself against worst-case scenarios.
Since Medicare and standard health insurance will not cover your costs, a long-term care insurance policy is one way to protect yourself against draining your financial assets. Ask for resources for finding an affordable premium that isn’t likely to increase prohibitively over time. Begin this process as soon as possible, as your premium will be lower the younger you are when you apply.
Another potential oversight is assuming your long-term care will be covered by Medicaid. Discuss it as an option to determine your qualifications and get authoritative insights about the specifics of your unique financial situation in terms of Medicaid benefits.
Take the time now to talk to an estate planning attorney about the best ways to maintain financial security in tandem with the demands of long-term care. Even if you don’t end up needing long-term care in your lifetime, you can enjoy the peace of mind knowing you’ll be covered.
The process of completing a long-term care plan may sound daunting, but we’re here to help you by making it a streamlined experience — simply get in touch with us today and let us put you in a more secure position for the future.