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Hernando Today

Focusing In On Florida's Long-Term Care Partnership Program

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By ADON TAFT, Life to the Fullest

Hernando Today

Published: January 13, 2009

QUESTION: In a recent column you mention a partnership program between Medicaid and long-term care insurance. How can I find out more about this?
I have long-term care insurance but don't know if it is compatible with this. Can you tell me who to contact to get more information on this?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

G.N.
Hudson

ANSWER: The particulars of Florida's Long-Term Care Partnership Program are a little vague, but a long-term care policy that fits the criteria must match, dollar for dollar, the amount of assets you wish to protect. The end result is that, after a time in a nursing home where your care is paid for by the insurance that you have, you may be eligible for Medicaid without paying out your personal assets down to the $2,000 limit usually required before you qualify for Medicaid. You may keep assets in the amount equal to the amount paid out by your policy for the cost of your care.
For answers to any questions about how the dollar-for-dollar disregard affects Medicaid eligibility, you can contact the Department of Children and Families ACCESS Call Center at (866) 762-2237.
At present, there is no list of companies selling partnership policies in Florida. However, the Florida Department of Financial Services has a list of all companies selling long term care policies of any kind in the state, included in a consumer guide entitled "Long-Term Care and Other Options for Seniors," available by calling (800) 342-2762 or checking it out on line at http://www.flseniors.net.
Unless you purchased a long-term care policy in the past couple of years, your policy probably is not a partnership policy because they were not available in Florida before then. But if you ask the company from which you have a long-term care policy about the partnership program, the company must provide you with a copy of the "Approved Long-Term Care Partnership Program Policy Summary (OIR-B2-1781)." And the company will tell you if your policy or any that they sell meets the criteria. Salesmen offering such policies must have taken state-approved training to assure that they understand the provisions and limitations of such policies.
For information on the partnership program or long-term care planning and insurance, you may contact the SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) program by calling the Florida Department of Elder Affairs' Elder Helpline at (800) 963-5337 or looking at their website at http://www.floridaSHINE.org.

QUESTION: All of our married life, my ex-husband was in the armed service. We were married almost 18 years and, during that time, I followed him all over the world. I worked most of that time but without a retirement plan. He divorced me after his retirement and remarried.
His present wife will get his service retirement upon his death. In case of his death before mine, would I be eligible for a portion of his Social Security?

W.P.
Spring Hill

ANSWER: If you are 60 years of age or older and are not remarried at the time of your former husband's death, you would be entitled to a widow's benefit based on his Social Security record (as would his present wife). You would receive the amount of benefits your husband was entitled to reduced by 19/40ths of one percent for each month, up to 36 months, you are younger than the full retirement age of 66. The reduc tion would be 5/12ths of one percent fore each month in excess of 36.
Since you have a work record of your own, you would be entitled to the higher of the two benefits -- the one based on your own work record or that of a widow.

If you have questions about any issues connected with aging, except medical conditions, please write to Life to the Fullest, Hernando Today, 13299 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, Fla. 34613, or send e-mail to adontaft@yahoo.com. Please include your name and address.

Adon Taft is a resident of Brooksville.

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