Here come the baby boomers into retirement - 78 million of them! And today's retirees can look forward to a much longer life span than previous generations, thanks to modern medicine, technology, and a commitment to enjoying the "senior" years. With the longer life span, however, comes the worry about the potential financial strain should a debilitating illness strike which would require continual, long-term health care. Your retirement income and savings can be quickly depleted by one lengthy stay in a hospital, nursing home facility, or required home health care.

Many current retirees are facing the issue of long-term health care with their own parents and see it as a real possibility for themselves. They wish their parents had purchased some form of health insurance to ease the financial burden that nursing home or home health care brings. Without additional health insurance coverage, my mother is currently paying $7000 a month for live-in care, as she recuperates from a broken leg. Nursing home costs would have been about the same amount. The AARP long term health care insurance program could have saved her much of this expense and certainly could be the answer for those of us entering retirement right now.

AARP long term health care insurance - Metlife offers a reasonable, flexible plan for its members. The plan, offered through Genworth Life Insurance Company, is generally almost half the cost of privately-purchased plans, and allows a "cafeteria" type flexibility in which the purchaser can pick and choose the types of long term care he/she wants.

Choices under the AARP long term health care insurance include lengthy hospitalization, nursing home care, and home health care, as well as adult day care and assisted living. The enrollee can choose one or any combination of coverages, and, as well, can select a variety of deductibles and co-pays. In short, you design your own plan, at a cost you can afford, and obtain the peace of mind that such insurance allows.

Medicare certainly has been a welcome and necessary senior health care program. It is not, however, complete medical insurance coverage, as any participating senior will tell you. aarp long term care health insurance Further, if you run out of money and have no long-term insurance, you are at the mercy of Medicare, which will then control any long-term care you receive. This is not a situation in which you want to find yourself. If you want to ensure that your retirement savings will not be eaten away with potential medical bills, and that you can continue to control the quantity and quality of the medical care you receive, it would be wise to look into long term health care insurance.