Insurance · General

What is the main purpose of long-term care (LTC) insurance?

Correct answer

To cover the costs of long-term care services — such as nursing home care, assisted living, or in-home care — needed when a person cannot perform activities of daily living, which standard health insurance and Medicare largely do not cover

  1. A To cover hospital surgery costs
  2. B To cover the costs of long-term care services — such as nursing home care, assisted living, or in-home care — needed when a person cannot perform activities of daily living, which standard health insurance and Medicare largely do not cover
  3. C To replace lost income
  4. D To cover dental work

Why this is the answer

LONG-TERM CARE (LTC) INSURANCE: Covers the costs of LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES that standard health insurance and Medicare largely DON'T cover. COVERS: Nursing home care; assisted living facilities; in-home care (home health aides); adult day care; care needed when a person cannot perform ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADLs — bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence) or has cognitive impairment (dementia); WHY NEEDED: Medicare covers only limited skilled nursing/rehab (not long-term custodial care); standard health insurance doesn't cover ongoing custodial care; LTC can be very expensive and deplete savings; BENEFIT TRIGGERS: Usually inability to perform a certain number of ADLs or cognitive impairment; POLICY FEATURES: Daily/monthly benefit amount, benefit period, elimination period, inflation protection; ALTERNATIVE: Medicaid covers LTC but only after assets are largely depleted (spend-down); LTC insurance protects assets and provides care choices; understanding LTC insurance's purpose (covering custodial/long-term care that health insurance and Medicare don't, triggered by ADL/cognitive needs) is important health insurance exam content.
Source: Health Insurance — Plan Types, Long-Term Care Insurance

Practice more questions

This question is from our Insurance License Practice Tests practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all General and other topics.

Take the Health Insurance practice test →

New to this exam? Our Insurance exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

Related questions

State-specific guides

Need information for your state? Our state guides cover local requirements, fees, and what to expect on exam day.