Coverage for One? Long-Term Care Insurance for the Wife

In our society women tend to live longer than men and to provide more care than men. The result is that women are much more likely than men to end up in a nursing home for a long period of time.

If you are playing the odds when it comes to long-term care insurance, who do you bet on if you can only afford coverage for one spouse?

ElderLawAnswers.com recently took up this topic and weighed in on this question: “Which Spouse Should Get Long-Term Care Insurance Coverage?” In brief, women tend to live longer and therefore require more care. While it is far from a sure thing, a married couple might be best served by providing long-term care insurance for the wife who also is most likely to be the surviving spouse.

Granted, the facts of relative longevity are quite familiar to insurance companies these days and women often require higher premiums, so the cost-benefit analysis begins. Then again, many more companies are working to offer coverage options to work for both spouses.

You can find a great deal of options, if you just look around the market. On the other hand, statistics do peak volumes.

To talk with an estate planning attorney, visit www.elderlawannarbor.com.

Reference: ElderLawAnswers.com (modified June 11, 2013) “Which Spouse Should Get Long-Term Care Insurance Coverage?”