The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) is designed to help certain individuals pay for long-term care services. Long-term care addresses the needs of people who require assistance with daily living activities due to chronic illness, injury, disability, or aging. This can include help with everyday tasks or needing care due to severe cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease.
When active, the FLTCIP is available to most Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees and annuitants, active and retired members of the uniformed services, and their qualified relatives. Generally, to be eligible to apply for FLTCIP coverage as an employee, one must be eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, regardless of actual FEHB enrollment. Annuitants do not need FEHB eligibility. It’s important to note that certain pre-existing medical conditions may affect approval for coverage, requiring an application to determine eligibility.
Currently, the ability to apply for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is suspended. This suspension, initially set and now extended by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), will be in effect until December 19, 2024. This extension is due to instability in long term care costs and market challenges, making it difficult to offer benefits at reasonable premium rates. During this suspension, new applications for coverage and requests to increase existing coverage are not being accepted.
For individuals seeking more detailed information about the FLTCIP, resources are available. Long Term Care Partners can be contacted at 1-800-582-3337. Additionally, their website https://www.ltcfeds.gov/ provides comprehensive details about the program and related resources, including the LTCFEDS Care Navigator, a tool designed to support caregivers and individuals navigating long-term care options.
