Live Q&A chat 9/27: What to do with your federal long-term care insurance

Three Democratic lawmakers expressed “outrage of the dramatic premium increases” for long-term care insurance for federal workers in a letter to Beth Cobert, head the Office of Personnel Management. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

Federal employees and retirees who participate in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) have until Friday, Sept. 30, to decide whether to accept premiums that on average have increased 83 percent, or $111, more per month.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, from noon (ET) to 1 p.m. I’ll host a special live online chat with Carolyn McClanahan, a physician turned fee-only certified financial planner. In addition to her financial planning practice, she concentrates on how health intersects with personal finance, including long-term care issues.

McClanahan will join me to answer your questions before the Friday deadline. Please be advised she can only offer general advice. Still, your questions and her answers may help you narrow your choices.

Join the discussion by clicking this link.

More help before the deadline

If you still have questions even after the chat, here are some points of contact, according to Joan Melanson, director of Program Promotion for Long Term Care Partners, which is the wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, and administers the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.

— Call 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337) or TTY 1-800-843-3557. You will be assisted by a trained consultant, Melanson said.

— Send an email to info@LTCPARTNERS.com to schedule a phone appointment with a trained consultant, thereby bypassing the 800 number.

Here’s a link with a Q&A from the federal Office of Personnel Management for enrollees.

For example, you may be wondering:

If I select an option to change my coverage, can I change back to the coverage I have now after the effective date?

“If you select an option to change your coverage and you are not satisfied with your new coverage, you may return to your prior coverage within 30 days after you receive your new schedule of benefits. To do this, we must receive your notification in writing within 30 days at Long Term Care Partners, LLC, P.O. Box 797, Greenland, NH 03840-0797.

After 30 days, you must submit a request to change your coverage, which may require additional underwriting and/or a higher premium.”

Can I submit my personalized option selection online instead of mailing it in?

“Yes. If you don’t already have one, you must first register for an online account. During the 2016 Enrollee Decision Period, there will be a link, ‘Select,’ next to ‘Personalized Options’ on the home page of your account. Click on that link to view the options available to you and submit your selection online.”

Washington Post long-term care coverage

Here is some of The Post coverage about the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, including my recent column:

Tough questions about long-term care insurance

Would delay in a long-term care price hike for federal workers do any good?

As The Post’s Joe Davidson writes, “Angry members of Congress are urging the Office of Personnel Management to delay a major price hike in the long-term-care insurance program for federal employees and retirees. Three Democratic lawmakers expressed their “outrage over the dramatic premium increases,” in a letter sent Friday to acting OPM director Beth Cobert.”

So far, OPM will not extend the Sept. 30 deadline.

Long-term care insurance rates go up for new federal employees — with no warning

Insurer did a ‘bait and switch’ on long-term care rate hike for feds, lawmakers say

Most long-term insurance care enrollees are eligible for little-known benefit

Costs skyrocket for feds’ long-term-care insurance

Your long-term care concerns

I want to hear from you.

What worries you about your possible long-term care needs?

And if you have long-term care insurance, what’s been your experience with your policy or premium increases?

Send your comments to colorofmoney@washpost.com

Readers may write to Michelle Singletary at The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071, or michelle.singletary@washpost.com. Personal responses may not be possible, and comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer’s name, unless otherwise requested. To read previous Color of Money columns, go to washingtonpost.com/business.

Live Q&A chat 9/27: What to do with your federal long-term care insurance