Paying For Long Term Care.
Today’s front page article in the San Jose Mercury News is titled “The Cost of Dying.” The article talks about the cost and blessing of taking care of a loved one dying a lingering death.
If you are one of the estimated 55 million caregivers now caring for a parent, a spouse, or a child, you are familiar with the pain and strain of a lingering death. Costs that families pay out of their own pockets because Medicare pays only for treatment, not in-home “custodial care.” Hospice helps, but patients must be judged to be within six months of death and its benefits don’t cover prolonged care. Private insurance doesn’t cover care, unless the patient has a long term care policy. Costs that aren’t included in our retirement budgets, but can bankrupt a family.
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