Short-Term Care Insurance in Chandler, AZ

What to know before you choose

These policies usually pay when you need help with two or more activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing or eating, or need care after an injury or illness. Many have a short or zero day waiting period, so benefits can start right away, and they pay a fixed daily amount for a set period of one year or less. With many designs, if your care costs less than the daily benefit, the unused amount can extend how long the policy pays.

Two features make short-term care stand out. First, it can pay in addition to what Medicare covers, which helps with the costs Medicare leaves after a hospital stay. Second, applications are generally shorter than for traditional long-term care, so people who cannot qualify for, or cannot afford, a long-term care policy often still have an option.

It is not a substitute for long-term care insurance if what you fear is years of care, such as with dementia. It is built for recoveries: a hip replacement, a stroke rehab stay, months of help at home after a hospital discharge. Many care needs do resolve within a year, and that is the space this coverage is designed for.

Viola looks at the whole picture: your health, your budget, whether you already have long-term care coverage, and who would help you at home. Sometimes short-term care is the right stand-alone choice; sometimes it pairs with a smaller long-term care policy. She compares daily benefits, benefit periods and waiting periods and makes sure you understand exactly how a claim starts.

Coverage is subject to underwriting and carrier approval, and plan designs vary by insurance company and state, so she confirms the details of each policy in Arizona before you apply.

How Viola helps

• Daily benefit, benefit period and waiting period compared
• How it works alongside Medicare after a hospital stay
• An option for people who do not qualify for traditional long-term care
• Care at home, assisted living and nursing facility benefits explained
• Pairing with a long-term care policy considered when it makes sense
• Claim triggers explained before you buy

Who it fits

You are on Medicare or nearing it, you want help with the cost of recovering after an illness or surgery, and traditional long-term care insurance is out of reach on price or health.