NOTE that most taxpayers will not be able to realize any deduction as you must first be able to itemize deductions on Schedule A, have total un-reimbursed medical expenses including the LTC Eligible Premium that exceed 10% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and only the amount above the 10% threshold is deductible.

HOWEVER, if you have funds in a Health Savings Account (HSA) - or an employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) - you CAN use those tax-free dollars to pay tax-qualified LTC insurance premiums up to the age-based, Eligible Premium amount shown above.

BUSINESS OWNERS (and spouses) get to take the age-based, Eligible Premium deduction "above-the-line" on page one of Form 1040 as part of the "Self Employed Health Insurance Deduction" (Line 29).  This applies to owners of business incorporated or taxes as: Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, or S-Corporations.  (Shareholder/Employees of a "regular" C-Corporation can have the entire premium deducted - without limit - if paid as an employee benefit by the corporation.)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUSINESS DEDUCTIONS FOR LTCI.

​* The tax information presented here is for general information only and should not be used nor relied upon as specific tax advice.  Taxpayers should consult with their CPA or qualified tax professional for advice regarding their own tax situation and the tax status of LTC premiums and benefits.

The state of Washington has passed the first of its kind government-run LTC insurance program for working residents of the state.

The plan will provide $100 per day of benefits which will increase with inflation for a maximum of 365 days (1-year).  Each day of benefits is considered a "unit" of coverage and units can be combined to pay for care services above $100/day, but that would also shorten the total benefit period.  The benefit can be used to pay family members to provide care after they have completed a minimum amount of mandatory training.

Every employee in the state will have a payroll tax withholding to pay for the plan.  The tax is 0.58%, or $0.58 for every $100 in payroll income.  A person earning $4,000 per month would pay $23.20 per month.

The plan does not cover people already retired or who will retire in the next 6 to 10 years.  It also is not portable if an employee leaves the state of Washington.

Payroll deductions will not begin for 3 years, and no benefits will be paid for at least 3 years after that as the plan requires that employees pay in for a minimum of 3 of the previous 6 years to be eligible.  To be fully "vested" in the plan an employee must pay in for at least 10 years.

"Self employed" people will not be automatically covered, but can opt-into the plan at the same payroll tax rate.

​Employees who have private LTC insurance can opt-out of the tax and coverage.

This week the news media lost its collective mind over a silly, old social media trope about a guy who says he won't live out his days in a nursing home, rather he'll simply stay at a Holiday Inn.  It's cheaper, and the service is better, so it says.  But it's a false narrative.

I wrote an extensive blog on this in 2016.  The e-mail I copied into that post from three years ago and the "new" Facebook post getting all the current attention are identical, word-for-word.  It's certainly not original, it's specious and misleading, and the numbers are (still) way out of date.

A TV station in Houston, KHOU, even found an internet post from 2004 with nearly the same wording as this old-is-new-again misleading social media joke.

​You can't compare "independent retirement living" with CARE in a nursing home - or an assisted living facility.  Hotel staff - nor cruise ship staff - will bathe and dress you, help you to and from the toilet, nor will they make sure your dementia doesn't lead you out the front door into traffic - or over the rail into the ocean - in the middle of the night.  Once you need CARE, you'll be on the curb - or the dock.

CLICK HERE to read my 2016 blog post for more details on why this is a ridiculous idea.

Comfort LTC owner, Bill Comfort, is featured on a new website for insurance agents and financial advisors seeking to learn more about LTC insurance and other care-planning options.

Licensed agents and advisors can access the new NAIFA Center for Limited and Extended Care Funding at: ​https://naifa.lifehappenspro.org

Watch Bill's video promoting the CLTC designation training program here: