California bill could promote partnership program

A lawmaker in California wants the state to do a little more to promote its long-term care (LTC) partnership program.

A state LTC partnership program gives residents an incentive to buy private long-term care insurance (LTCI) by helping residents who buy qualified policies and exhaust the benefits the ability to keep more assets if they end up having to use Medicaid nursing home benefits.

Assemblymember Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, Calif., has introduced a bill, Assembly Bill 1234, that would require LTCI issuer websites and applications to tell consumers about the state’s partnership program website, at http://www.rureadyca.org.

The California Department of Health Care Services created the site to give consumers ideas about how to prepare for future LTC needs.