A new study by the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) shows that baby boomers need to pay attention to the very real possibility they may need long-term care. The reason: escalating long-term care costs.

“Long-Term Care Insurance or Medicaid: Who Will Pay for Baby Boomers’ Long-Term Care?” sounds the alarm on a potential national long-term care crisis. More important, it is a call to action for individuals to include long-term care in their retirement planning, said ACLI President & CEO Frank Keating.

The study shows that a one-year stay in a nursing home averages nearly 70,000 for a private room or more than 61,000 for a semi-private room. By 2030, the same stay in a semi-private room will cost an estimated 190,000, more than tripling over the next 25 years. Most Americans cannot save enough to cover these high costs on their own.

“Americans are living longer than ever before. That is good news, but it has some risks. One of those risks is that many future retirees will be facing astronomical long-term care costs,” Keating said.

The issue is of particular interest to women because they tend to outlive men. A 65-year-old woman has a 50 percent chance of needing nursing home care in her lifetime-a cost that could potentially wipe out her retirement savings.

What can be done? Life insurers recommend long-term care insurance.

Long-term care insurance is a vital component of a sound financial plan for retirement. It helps people maintain independence in retirement if they require long-term care services. Long-term care policyholders don’t have to rely on government programs or their family to pay for care. Moreover, the product has evolved over the years. It now offers a wide range of services in a variety of settings. Some policies may include reimbursement for respite care, medical equipment, care coordination services and even home modification.

“Long-term care insurance provides retirement security to millions of Americans. But more need the protection it offers. With long-term care insurance as part of a retirement plan, Americans are better equipped to protect their life-long savings and maintain their standard of living,” Keating said.

Announcing the Best Guarantee in a Long Term Care Policy

Are you 60 to 70 years old? If not you, maybe a family member? Then you’re about to discover something that could help prevent the total devastation of your personal estate.

Truth is, it’s likely the most important asset you could ever own. Here’s why.

For over 24 years, I have helped hundreds of individuals understand and implement money saving ideas. From birth to death I’ve witnessed families in every financial situation.

As my clients age (and me, too), I can tell you without hesitation the biggest fear of growing old is losing your ability to remain independent.

We might be living longer, this doesn’t mean we’re living any better.

Chronic disease is rampant… and it strikes with a vengeance when you least expect it.

How many people who have experienced a stroke knew it was going to happen to them?

How many anticipated that particular moment when they began to forget things?

The facts speak for themselves. Literally millions of Americans require long term care… either in nursing homes, day care centers, assisted living facilities or in their own homes.

And the cost of providing long term care is rising with no end in sight.

Think it won’t happen to you? Well, I’m sorry. Because this article doesn’t try to convince anyone about the likelihood of their needing care before they die.

It’s intended for those who understand and appreciate the importance of arming themselves with protection against the horrific expense of long term care.

In fact, this article is ideal for those who have already looked at traditional types of long term care policies and are trying to determine which type is best for them.

One of the biggest objections to buying a long term care policy is that if the benefit is never needed the premiums paid for the policy will be wasted.

This is somewhat like buying automobile insurance. You have to pay the premium in order to get your car repaired. But what if you never have an accident. Is that considered losing your premium?

Funny isn’t it? People hardly question paying for car insurance, but they frequently resist doing so for a long term care policy.

So… what if you could always get your premium back – guaranteed – if you never require any long term care?

And, what if you die before receiving long term care? Wouldn’t it be great if your loved ones could recover 100% of your premium expense?

How about this? You actually use up all of your long term care benefit. And then you die. What if your family could still get back 10 percent of your premium.

Now if you know anything about long term care policies you’re probably wondering why you haven’t heard of this type before.

One reason is because it is non-traditional and not included in the mainstream marketing of long term care policies.

Another is because it takes a large sum of money to buy the policy. 50,000 is typical and it’s a one-time single premium, which means you will never get stuck with a premium increase.

It is not uncommon for people between 60 and 70 to have large sums of money stashed away in bank CDs earning low interest. Kind of an emergency fund.

Transferring a portion of this fund into the policy makes sense because the money continues to earn interest. Besides, it usually pays more than the bank… plus, the policy interest is tax deferred.

It’s also common for people this age to have old life insurance policies with significant cash value.

Many times it’s possible to transfer the cash into the long term care policy and still retain a meaningful death benefit.

And the future long term care benefit could easily be worth over one million pounds.

This policy has a 90 day waiting period before benefits are paid. The length of the benefit can be as short as 4 years or as long as your lifetime. You can also get a 5% compound interest inflation protection rider to help keep up with the rising cost of care.

The name of this policy is MoneyGuard. It is a universal life insurance policy with a long term care rider. The issuing life insurance company is Lincoln Life, a subsidiary of Lincoln Financial Group.

By the way, this policy was initially developed by First Penn-Pacific Life many years ago. They have years of experience and an excellent reputation. Lincoln recently bought First Penn-Pacific.

Ask your life insurance agent to get you more information about this single premium policy. For the right situation it is absolutely the best guarantee in a long term care policy.

The AARP insurance is a long-term policy that rises above common coverage of Medicare. These plans help you to discover solutions to care for your loved ones. AARP insurance covers anyone over the age 50. These policies will provide you with benefits, such as membership. Membership benefits often mean that you only pay less than 100 annually. Your spouse may also benefit from these insurance plans.

These long-term insurance plans often give you benefits and discounts. The policyholder sometimes has access to homeowner coverage, health coverage, and auto coverage. In addition, the policyholder may receive services from online, such as music, travel, grocery savings, computer savings and other benefits.

AARP supplies the policyholder with advocacies. The advocacies are often in Washington, which these people will represent you. The representation will cover purchased safety, Medicare issues and social security issues.

This long-term insurance provides you with advocacies that give you advice on living healthier. You receive plans for financing, protection over purchase, living healthier advice and tips for parents in taking care of their loved ones.

Because cost increases occur annually, especially in nursing home care Medicare will only provide minimal care to the patient. The patient must pay the remaining balance of his or her care from his social security benefits. AARP insurance steps in to battle this problem.

The long-term care insurance protects the policyholder’s investments as well as their savings. This policy will preserve your freedom. Unlike common Medicare, this plan enables you to opt for any nursing home you choose. In other words, Medicare recipients only qualify for selected nursing homes as required by the providers.

You have a broader option in AARP insurance. This long-term plan covers payments or expenses of your healthcare that you receive at home, in spite of who you have as a caregiver. This plan will also cover nursing home expenses, adult care, or any facilities that provide care for elderly.

You have other benefits with the long-term insurance policy. You can opt for flex plans that will accommodate your needs. If you are on a strict budget, AARP insurance providers will find a plan and coverage to fit your needs.

Common Medicare does not cover extensive needs in healthcare for the older generation. This is a huge problem, since many elderly people are not getting the health care they need. Too many people die earlier because of this problem.

If you are searching for healthcare coverage then AARP is the route you may want to take. Rather than worrying over your aged parent, you can rest knowing that your loved one is getting the care that they need.