Know your benefits

Long-term-care insurance

Nov 1, 2007 1:32 PM

UFT members have options

Long-term care is the type of help you would need if you required assistance with simple, everyday activities you now take for granted, such as eating, bathing or dressing. The need for long-term care can occur at any age because of an unexpected accident or serious illness. Long-term care services typically aren’t covered by other types of insurance.

More and more people have been taking a closer look at long-term-care insurance recently because of the changes that have been made to the needs-based Medicaid program and as costs for long-term-care services, such as home care, continue to increase.

UFT members have options to choose from for long-term-care insurance coverage, including a plan from NYSUT Member Benefits Trust — part of NYSUT, the UFT’s statewide affiliate — as well as from the City of New York.

NYSUT plan

NYSUT Member Benefits Trust has endorsed a long-term-care insurance program provided by MetLife since 1993. This flexible plan allows members to select the terms and daily benefit amount that best meet their needs. Services provided include care planning and coverage for home health care, adult day care, homemaker services, licensed assisted living facilities, nursing home care, hospice care at home or in a licensed hospice facility and respite care. Spouses or domestic partners, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents and grandparents-in-law are also eligible to apply in addition to the member.

Since 1993, the Member Benefits-endorsed plan has never experienced an overall rate increase, even though benefit payments to plan participants have grown significantly over the years. Several valuable features are available to UFT members through the Member Benefits-endorsed plan:

• Premiums may be paid via payroll or pension deduction, which results in a 10 percent discount off regular monthly rates.
• The plan includes a once-per-lifetime waiting period of 30 days of covered services.
• The plan offers many options from which to choose, including six different daily benefit amounts; benefit duration choices of three years, five years and unlimited benefits; home health-care reimbursement levels of 50 percent or 100 percent of the daily benefit amount; and a choice of a Comprehensive Plan or a Nursing Home Only Plan.
• The New York State Partnership program, a special plan available only to residents of New York State, is also available to UFT members through the Member Benefits-endorsed plan.

UFT members may call 1-800-638-0133 for information regarding the Member Benefits-endorsed MetLife long-term-care plan, including premium rates and applications. For information about the contractual expense reimbursement/endorsement arrangement between MetLife and NYSUT Member Benefits Trust, call 1-800-626-8101.

City of New York plan

The City of New York selected MetLife to be the insurer of the city’s long-term-care program in September 2006. Even though MetLife is the insurer used by both the city and the NYSUT Member Benefits Trust, the two plans are different, with different premium rates and benefits choices. UFT members seeking information regarding the city plan should call 1-866-414-7076.

With the City of New York plan, new employees have 90 days to enroll without having to provide evidence of good health. After 90 days, applications will be sent to underwriting for approval and medical questions may be asked.

Members already enrolled in the city program can contact MetLife at 1-800-438-6388 for any questions or problems from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.