If you gave up on long-term care because of your health

Many people rule themselves out of long-term care coverage before they even apply, because of a health condition. That caution was not unfounded. Underwriting turned a lot of applications away.

A recently released policy is noticeably different here. A few specifics are worth spelling out.

First, well-controlled diabetes is not an automatic decline. The application can at least be reviewed, which means the door does not close on the diagnosis alone.

Second, cancer history is not asked about on the form at all. Third, neither is hepatitis. Hepatitis in particular has blocked a lot of applications I have handled over the years, and simply removing those two questions changes the picture for some people.

The fourth point may matter most. Most comparable products ask whether you have been declined by another carrier in the past twelve months. Because of that question, one rejection tends to make every subsequent attempt harder. This policy does not ask it.

The process itself is also short. Around ten health items are reviewed on paper, followed by a roughly fifteen-minute interview. Applicants between 70 and 80 also complete a brief cognitive check. The carrier usually answers within two or three hours. Compare that with the two-to-three-hour phone interview and detailed medical review that traditional long-term care underwriting involves.

To be clear: this does not mean everyone qualifies. Underwriting is still underwriting. It also does not mean this is the best option for everyone, since the coverage terms are not identical to a traditional long-term care policy and the comparison has to be done properly.

But if you gave up under the old rules, the answer today may be different, and that is worth finding out.

The rates and product terms in this post were current when it was written. They vary by carrier and by state and can change without notice. I will confirm what is available today when we speak.