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

Three-fifths of enrollees in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program who are facing steep premium increases will be eligible to invoke a little-known feature of the program that will allow them to stop paying premiums but still keep some coverage, the Office of Personnel Management has said.

The paid-up provision allows enrollees whose premium is increased beyond a certain percentage to stop paying premiums, with benefits then reduced. The triggering percentages vary according to the age at enrollment and take into account all increases since that time; FLTCIP rates also increased for many enrollees in early 2010.