You'll be safe if you take a number of points into consideration before you pay choose a long term care insurance carrier...

1) Be sure to see that everything you prefer is included in the policy terms. Long term care insurance policies and features vary a lot with different insurers.

Do not presume that every long term care insurance provider will cover similar kinds of services and when they do have similar coverage yardsticks, find out where those likeness stops. Some cover nursing home care, others offer coverage for custodial or personal care in various settings such as assisted living, adult day care, and home health care.

Some others may give a combination of these and other services. Ensure you choose a policy that best meets your projected needs.

2) Be sure the insurer you ultimately go for is licensed to offer long term care insurance in your state. Don't settle for an insurer unless you've confirmed their legitimacy, reputation and standing. Use services such as BBB, A.M Best Company, Phelps, Inc., Standard & Poor's Insurance Rating Services, Moody's Investor Services, Inc. and others to check how favorable their ratings are.

This is very important in long term care insurance because most claimants are normally in no physical or mental state to pursue their rights. In addition, certain dishonest insurance companies have been indicted for delaying payment in the expectation that some of such claimants will pass on before the process is completed.

3) Look through their benefit payout terms. Pay particular attention to what your insurance company pays out per day for different conditions. Do you know what they pay, for instance, per day in a nursing home?

Do you know what they pay, for example, per day in a nursing home? What do they pay out per day for assisted living? Are you aware of their maximum lifetime limits if they have such limits?

You won't get any benefits that exceed what they spell out so ensure that you understand this very well.

4) Think carefully about the waiting period you settle for. To explain things, a waiting period is the length of time a person must pay for long term care by him/herself before an insurer starts to give them their benefits.

Usually an individual can select any number of days from 1 to 180 days. Selecting a longer waiting period gets you cheaper rates. Nevertheless, care must be taken and see to it that a waiting period you won't be able to cope with isn't selected.

5) Know for sure when your preferred insurance company regards an insured as eligible for benefits. Are there things that must set in before they are deemed eligible for the benefits in the policy?

Is it when an insured shows signs of a form of cognitive impairment or once they cannot carry out basic daily activities without help?

6) Is there any clause that ensures your benefits are untouched by inflation or possible rise in the cost of long term care? Make sure they have one and that their terms are good enough for you.

With an inflation adjustment clause, for instance, you are sure that the benefits you would be given later in life will reflect the cost of long term care at that point in time.

7) Check if it has a guaranteed renewal. It assures you that you can't be rejected if you choose to renew your policy.

8) A non-forfeiture benefit is a truly vital feature you shouldn't do without. This is since it guarantees that you still get paid a considerable part of your benefit even if you terminate the policy or let it lapse without knowing (which happens quite often as people age).

9) Get and compare quotes from reputable quotes sites. Visit a minimum of five of such sites if you want to get the best rates. It's free, quick and easy.