Commonly Asked Questions When Using a Long Term Care Insurance Policy for In-Home Care Services
Understanding In Home Care Services Using a MetLife / BrightHouse Long Term Care Policy
MetLife sold a number of long term care insurance policies throughout the 1980s. Individuals who have purchased MetLife long term care insurance policies can work with Accountable Home Care to initiate a claim. The forms provided by MetLife / BrightHouse are available for immediate download. If for some reason downloading the insurance form is not an option, you can directly contact MetLife / BrightHouse Long Term Care Insurance Policy. Once you call their toll free number to initiate a claim, the company will direct mail you the required forms to start a claim.
Initiating a Long Term Care Claim with MetLife / BrightHouse for Home Care
Long term care insurances like MetLife/ BrightHouse can pay for care in the home for the elderly. Policyholders must require physical assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) in order to qualify. Activities of daily living include but are not limited to help bathing, dressing, eating, and continence care. Activities of daily living require “hands on” care by a licensed caregiver. Licensed caregivers are home health aides (HHAs) or certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Long term care policies commonly refer to defined terms within the policy in order to explain the long term care benefits.
Common Terms Policyholders Should Be Familiar With When Initiating a Home Care Claim
Elimination Period
The amount of days a policyholder will have to pay out of pocket for prior to the long term care insurance company such as Metlife / BrightHouse will reimburse for care at home.
Daily Allowance
The dollar amount a long term care policy will pay for daily care. Policyholders should carefully review their policy. Careful review of a long term care policy can help determine if there is a set dollar amount versus a percentage of a set dollar amount paid for by the policy.
Assignment of Benefits
There are two different ways Accountable Home Care can work with a policyholder. The first option is a policyholder can choose to assign all benefit reimbursements mailed back from Metlife / BrightHouse to their home in their name. The other option is to allow AHC to submit all timesheets/care logs on their behalf. Each week, AHC will fax on your behalf care logs directly to Metlife and allow reimbursements for care to be paid directly to AHC. Should the hourly care exceed the daily benefit, the client is still responsible for this out of pocket care expense.
The Role of Accountable Home Care With Long Term Care Insurance
Accountable Home Care is a Florida licensed nurse registry. Our business license allows us to refer licensed caregivers in Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin Counties. Our role refers licensed caregivers to the elderly such as home health aides and certified nursing assistants. Often times policyholder/client of Accountable Home Care desire our office staff to process all care logs on behalf of a claim. Long term care policies require such as MetLife / BrigthHouse LTCI, require policyholders utilize a home care company and not a privately hired individual in order to initiate a claim. Terms of initiating a long term care claim varies based on the long term care provider’s policy. We try to simplify the claim initiation process with clients and their family.
What to Expect Upon Initiating a Long Term Care Claim Like MetLife / BrightHouse
If you have a MetLife /BrightHouse long term care policy, the first step is to schedule a free home care evaluation with Accountable Home Care. You will meet with a patient care coordinator. The meeting will be to review your long term care policy, discuss your care requirements , expectations and design an in- home care schedule designed to enhance your lifestyle.
Qualifying for In Home Care Services Using Long Term Care Policy
There are a few factors involved to consider when initiating an insurance claim. Change in health care status often times warrants the claim. “Hands on” care versus “hands off” care needs to be determined. “Hands off” care is cooking, cleaning and driving. Hands on care is assistance with daily living. Assistance with daily living examples are bathing, dressing, assistance with transferring, and continence care. Once a claim is initiated, a long term care registered nurse hired by MetLife / BrightHouse LTCI will directly contact the policyholder. The registered nurse will conduct an in-home assessment. The policyholder will review care needs and the nurse will also assess cognitive levels as well. Cognitive Impairment documentation by a physician is extremely helpful to provide.
Learn more about MetLife BrightHouse LTCI
