An important part of any retirement strategy involves factoring in the potential expenses associated with long-term care. For many years, people have purchased long-term care insurance to help cover some of those costs.

However, over the past decade, other insurance products have become available that combine life insurance with some type of accelerated and/or extended benefits provision for long-term care. A comparison of the general frameworks of each type of insurance could help you decide which option may be better for you.

Note: Some insurers offer combination annuity products that offer long-term care benefits. The focus of this article is on hybrid life insurance compared to traditional long-term care insurance.

Similarities

Hybrid life insurance and traditional long-term care insurance share basic similarities. For instance, both require the applicant for insurance to meet minimum health and cognitive standards in order to get the coverage, both pay claims after the insured incurs long-term care expenses, there is often a waiting, or elimination period before claims are paid, and payments for long-term care are generally received by the insured income-tax free.

Differences

Despite the general similarities, there are differences between hybrid life insurance and traditional long-term care insurance.

Cost. Hybrid life insurance usually costs more than traditional long-term care insurance. Hybrid policies are often paid with a single payment or payments over a few years, usually no more than 10. Long-term care premiums may increase over time, whereas hybrid policy payments generally do not change.

Life insurance death benefit. A hybrid policy includes a death benefit. Payments for long-term care reduce the death benefit, but the policy often has a minimum death benefit even if long-term care payments exceed the total death benefit amount. So if you don’t use the hybrid policy for long-term care, there’s still a death benefit that will be paid to your named policy beneficiaries at your death. Long-term care insurance is typically a “use it or lose it” proposition. While some long-term care policies may offer a return of premium option, they’re usually very expensive and rarely purchased. With most long-term care insurance, if you don’t use the policy for long-term care, nothing is paid at your death and there is no reimbursement of your premiums.

Cash value. Most hybrid policies have a cash-value component. While payments for long-term care are generally received income tax-free, withdrawals from the cash-value of a hybrid policy are treated like any other cash-value withdrawals. If the policy is categorized as a modified endowment contract (MEC), then cash value withdrawals are taxed as last in, first out, meaning any earnings on the cash value are deemed withdrawn first and subject to income taxation. Long-term care insurance has no cash value.

Benefit payments. Long-term care insurance benefit payments are often larger than hybrid policy payments.

An individual should have a need for life insurance and should evaluate the policy on its merits as life insurance. Optional benefit riders are available for an additional fee and are subject to contractual terms, conditions and limitations as outlined in the policy and may not benefit all investors. Any payments used for covered long-term care expenses would reduce (and are limited to) the death benefit or annuity value and can be much less than those of a typical long-term care policy.

Permanent life insurance offers lifetime protection and a guaranteed death benefit as long as you keep the policy in force by paying the premiums. A portion of the permanent life insurance premium goes into a cash-value account, which accumulates on a tax-deferred basis throughout the life of the policy. Withdrawals of the accumulated cash value, up to the amount of the premiums paid, are not subject to income tax. Loans are also free of income tax as long as they are repaid. Loans and withdrawals from a permanent life insurance policy will reduce the policy’s cash value and death benefit, could increase the chance that the policy will lapse, and might result in a tax liability if the policy terminates before the death of the insured. Additional out-of-pocket payments may be needed if actual dividends or investment returns decrease, if you withdraw policy cash values, or if current charges increase. Any guarantees are contingent on the claims-paying ability and financial strength of the issuing insurance company. Policies commonly have mortality and expense charges. If a policy is surrendered prematurely, there may also be surrender charges and income tax implications.

A complete statement of coverage, including exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, is found only in the policy. It should be noted that carriers have the discretion to raise their rates and remove their products from the marketplace.