A family care conversation is easier to organize when the questions are written down before a crisis. Start with the help someone might need and the people involved. Then identify which program, policy or household resource could address each part. Do not begin by assuming one insurance card answers every care question.
This worksheet is for preparation. It does not determine a person's medical needs, insurance eligibility or entitlement to public assistance.
Describe the support before comparing payment sources
Write a separate line for personal assistance, transportation, meals, household tasks and any medical services being considered. Ask a qualified care professional which services are appropriate; an insurance conversation cannot supply that assessment.
Next, record the setting being considered: the person's home, a community program or a residential facility. For each option, collect a current local description of the service and its charges. Keep the date and what is included. A national average or an old cost table is not a quote for the care your household may need.
The NAIC describes long-term care as a broader subject than nursing-home care. Use that distinction to ask about the settings and assistance relevant to your family, rather than assuming a policy's name establishes its benefits.
Separate Medicare questions from ongoing personal care
Medicare's official guidance distinguishes long-term care from skilled nursing facility care and explains that most non-medical long-term care is not paid by Medicare or Medigap. Check the actual service and circumstances with the program or plan; do not assume a hospital stay establishes ongoing coverage for daily assistance.
For each proposed service, ask who determines eligibility, what documentation is needed and which costs would remain with the household. If Medicaid or another public program may be relevant, contact the appropriate state program or a qualified professional. This worksheet does not establish eligibility or recommend an asset transfer.
Make family responsibilities visible
List the tasks relatives or friends have offered to handle. Confirm availability rather than treating a nearby family member as an automatic full-time caregiver. Discuss backup arrangements, travel and how a change in work hours could affect the household budget.
Useful questions include:
- Who coordinates appointments and communicates with providers?
- Who can help during evenings or weekends, and who is the backup?
- Which expenses would continue in the person's own home?
- What would happen if the current caregiver became unavailable?
- Which legal permissions or documents should qualified counsel help the family review?
Keep private health, identity and financial records in a secure place. A public website inquiry is not the place to upload a care file or legal documents.
Review an existing policy using its actual terms
If insurance is already in place, locate the complete policy, amendments and current notices. Prepare questions about benefit triggers, covered settings, eligible providers, waiting periods, benefit amounts, duration, exclusions and claim procedures. Ask which provisions apply to the assistance on your worksheet.
Also ask how premiums can change and what options are available if the policyholder's circumstances change. Record the explanation alongside the relevant policy provision. Leave an unresolved question marked as unresolved; neither a brochure nor a family member's experience proves what this policy will pay.
Federal employees: check the current FLTCIP notice
The FLTCIP notice checked for this draft describes an application suspension, including applications for increased coverage, subject to later OPM notices. Do not infer reopening from a projected end date. Before publication or a personal decision, check the current notice directly and distinguish a new application from the status of an existing enrollee.
Turn the worksheet into next steps
For each open item, record the question, responsible contact, source document and a date to follow up. Separate care-provider questions, program questions, legal questions and insurance questions so each reaches someone qualified to answer it.
Revisit the worksheet after a move, a change in care needs, a caregiver's change in availability or a policy notice. For related retirement and insurance questions, start with the learning center.
Browse federal benefits, retirement and insurance topics or read how we prepare and check our guides.
Sources
- Medicare, Long-term care coverage, checked November 3, 2026
- NAIC, Long-term care insurance consumer information, checked November 3, 2026
- FLTCIP, Current application suspension notice, checked November 3, 2026
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