Long-Term Care Insurance

The long-term care benefit is a service benefit. One entitled to this benefit receives long-term care services in order to assist him/her to perform every-day functions and manage the household.

Eligibility for the long-term care benefit is determined by the following: age; being resident in a community and not in an institution; an income test; being a non-recipient of an attendance allowance; and being dependent to a large extent on the assistance of another person in the performance of everyday functions.

Under the Long-Term Care Insurance Law, the person entitled to the benefit receives services intended to provide direct assistance in the performance of everyday functions and household management all according to the need of the elderly person, and based on the decision of the local professional commission for the provision of care services.

Dressing, eating, control and urine and bowel movements, washing, mobility in the home.

There are two rates for long-term care benefit:

In order to receive long-term care benefit, a claim form should be completed and submitted to a local NII branch near the claimant’s place of residence. The form can be sent by mail.

A person who finds it difficult to fill in the claim form can receive assistance from the clerk or from the workers of the Counseling Service for the Elderly Department at a local branch of the National Insurance Institute.

The form must include an expert opinion by the attending physician, and documents authorizing the income must be appended to the form.

A claim for long-term care benefits can be submitted by any person who represents the claimant (such as family member, guardian, social worker or nurse) after the claimant has signed the form.