8:14 a.m., Oct. 5, 2009----The University of Delaware Office of Human Resources has announced that effective Jan. 1, 2010, Prudential Long-Term Care Insurance will be the University's long-term care insurance provider.

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All benefits-eligible employees and their families plus retirees, their spouses and same sex domestic partners are eligible to enroll for this voluntary benefit.

“Open enrollment is a great time for employees to learn and take advantage of long-term care insurance," said J.J. Davis, UD vice president for administration. She added, “We are working diligently to make employees aware of this benefit and hope that interested faculty and staff will join us during one of the information sessions and take time to review information on our Web site.”

Following is information about long-term care:

What is long-term care?

Long-term care is not one service, but a variety of services available to individuals who are unable to care for themselves due to a sickness, accident, or a disability. Common reasons why long-term care services may be required:

• Car accident
• Sporting accident
• Alzheimer's
• Stroke
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Aging process

Long-term care services can range from simple help with a meal preparation, to assistance with bathing or dressing, to complete 24 hour monitored care.

Is this nursing home coverage?

Yes, the long-term care insurance provides nursing home coverage based on the daily benefit that you select. Thanks to advances in medical technology, only about 20 percent of all long-term care services are provided in a long-term care facility. The remaining 80 percent of services are in a community-based care setting.

What qualifies as a community-based cared setting?

Your Home. Your long-term care policy will pay for care that you receive in your home up to the benefit level that you select. The wide variety of long-term care services now available in the home includes nursing care, help with personal care like dressing and walking, and living assistance services like meal preparation and housekeeping available through a home health care agency.

Adult day care. Long-term care will pay for care you receive in an adult day care facility up to the benefit level you select. If a family member provides care at home in the evenings, but help is needed during the day, adult day care may be the right choice.

Assisted-living care/Adult foster care. Long-term care will pay for assisted-living care or adult foster care up to the benefit level that you select. For someone who can no longer live alone but does not require the level of care given in a nursing home, an assisted living facility or an adult day care facility may be the answer.

What are the chances of needed long-term care?

The chances of needed long-term care services may be greater than you think. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the estimated number of people requiring some form of long-term care is about 9 million Americans.

As you can see, long-term care services are required by individuals of all ages, not just the elderly. In fact, 40 percent of those requiring services are below the age of 65.

What does long-term care cost?

Nursing home and community based care costs vary widely. The level of care received and the geographic area where the care is provided are two key factors. The information below highlights the average nursing home costs for semi-private rooms based on Prudential's 2008 long-term care survey:

• Delaware: $233 per day, $85,045 per year
• Pennsylvania: $226per day, $82,490 per year
• Maryland: $203 per day, $74,095 per year
• New Jersey: $254 per day, $92,710 per year

Consider long-term care during open enrollment

UD's Office of Human Resources notes that the following are reasons to consider long-term care protection during open enrollment:

No health questions for employees

Eligible active benefits-eligible employees who enroll in the long-term care plan during the special long-term care open enrollment period are guaranteed to be accepted into the program provided you are actively at work on the coverage effective date. Employees that apply after this special long-term care open enrollment period will be required to prove that they are in good health.

Coverage that is yours for life

As long as you keep paying your premiums and you haven't received benefits up to your lifetime maximum, your coverage cannot be cancelled. Should you retire or terminate employment for a reason, you can continue your coverage at the same premiums. Prudential Long-Term Care will bill you at home for the same plan.

On-campus information sessions with Prudential representatives will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22, Monday, Oct. 26, and Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Information on meeting times and locations, and related information, will be posted on the Office of Human Resources Web site as it becomes available.