To get approved for coverage, applicants are required to go through long term care insurance underwriting. This process can generally take 6-8 weeks for the carrier to obtain your medical information, conduct interviews, and make a decision.
Here are some scenarios of what to expect in long term care insurance underwriting that may take place when you apply for long term care insurance.
Review of Your Medical Records
The insurance carrier may request medical records from your primary care doctor including any specialists you’ve seen in the last 3-5 years. Underwriters will review your records and compare results in your records to the information provided on your application.
Delays in underwriting decisions can be common when medical records aren’t sent by your doctor’s office promptly. It’s important to inform your doctor you applied for long term care insurance and to request they promptly respond to requests for medical records.
Prescription Drug Screen
To verify your prescription medications, LTC carriers will check a drug screen from the State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. This helps verify that applicants are being truthful on their application and to confirm no medications are being taken that could result in a decline in coverage.
Phone Health Interview
You may be required to complete a phone health interview by the insurance carrier or one of their vendors. This call will verify your medical information and they may use the opportunity to conduct a standard cognitive test.
Calls can be scheduled in advance and typically last 30-45 minutes. It’s important you are prepared for the call with a list of your medications, dosages, and contact information for doctors you’ve seen in the last five years.
Schedule your phone interview as soon as possible and pick a time and a place where you’re free of distractions so they have your full attention.
Face-to-Face Interview
Depending on your age and health status, you may get a call from a nurse to schedule an in-person interview to review your health. These interviews are typically scheduled in your home.
During the appointment, a nurse will take your vitals including your height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse. They’ll review your medical history with you and may collect lab work and/or conduct a standard cognitive exam.
It’s important to schedule your interview as soon as possible to avoid delays in the underwriting process. The faster the carrier can get your medical records and results from your interviews, the sooner they can make an underwriting decision.
At LTC Consumer, we help individuals and couples navigate the long term care underwriting process. Our LTC Specialists follow the status of each application to make sure all information is received promptly. If anything is needed during underwriting, they let you know right away.
Ready to get started? Request an instant LTC quote and get connected with one of our specialists today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.