Home Care Insurance vs. Long-Term Care Insurance

Insurance for home care providers can feel confusing. Understanding what’s covered by Professional Liability versus General Liability policies may be daunting, particularly if you’re new to the healthcare industry. To complicate matters further, there are also insurance options for patients to help them pay for your services.

This quick guide on home care insurance and long-term care insurance can help you understand what each covers and who they are for.

What’s the difference between home care insurance and long-term care insurance?

Home care insurance and long-term care insurance may sound similar, but they are very different.

Home care insurance refers to the coverage options available to healthcare professionals and caregivers, which help them protect their businesses from the financial stress of lawsuits and claims. Long-term care insurance is coverage designed to help patients pay for your home care services.

Let’s take a closer look at these different insurance policies.

What is long-term care insurance?

Long-term care insurance helps patients pay for home health care services provided by a home health aide or personal carer. This insurance typically provides patients with more flexibility and options than paying for home care services through Medicaid, Medicare, or low-income public assistance programs.

According to the Administration for Community Living, close to 70% of people turning 65 in 2020 will need long-term care at some point in their lives¹. Many patients may choose long-term care insurance to help them pay for caregiver services.

As a home care provider, you may be asked to create or follow a plan of care for your patients. The patient’s insurer must approve this plan before they can claim on their policy.

What is home care insurance?

While long-term care insurance is for patients, home care insurance is for healthcare professionals. It helps protect your caregiver business financially, should you be hit by a claim, lawsuit, or other insured event.

There are several types of insurance that you might consider for your home care business:

• Professional Liability (also known as Errors & Omissions, E&O or malpractice insurance)
• General Liability (also called Commercial General Liability)
• Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
• Workers’ Compensation

Finding cover that fits your needs

Home care insurance can help financially protect your home health business from claims and lawsuits. Having coverage in place could mean the difference between closing your doors or continuing to provide vital caregiver services to your patients.

Compare home care insurance options with BizInsure today, online or over the phone!