Georgia Long Term Care Partnership

The Long-Term Care Partnership Program (Partnership), administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services, provides an alternative to spending down or transferring assets by forming a partnership between Medicaid and private long-term care insurers.

This public-private partnership creates an innovative program offering individuals quality, affordable long-term care insurance and a way to receive needed care without depleting all their assets.

Only Partnership policies provide Medicaid asset protection. For every dollar that a Partnership policy pays out in benefits, a dollar of assets can be protected (disregarded) from the long-term care Medicaid asset limit. The protected assets will also be exempted from Estate Recovery in amount equal to the benefits paid by the Partnership policy.

Once private insurance benefits are used, special Medicaid eligibility rules are applied if additional coverage is necessary.

Partnership policies will be tax qualified plans under federal law and provide inflation protection benefits for purchasers.

Partnership policies provide some level of inflation protection for individuals at least 61 years of age, but less than 75 years of age on date of purchase.

Partnership policies may provide inflation protection, but is not required, to individuals 76 years of age as of the date of purchase.

Some Partnership policies cover home and community-based services. Individuals should consider looking into a policy that pays for these types of services.

A Partnership policy is ideal for someone who will not be able to afford the high cost of long-term care, but who can afford the reasonable cost of long-term care insurance. The younger individuals are when purchasing a long-term care insurance policy, the less expensive it is.

Individuals who have accumulated resources by saving or investing may be the best candidates for a Partnership policy.

Before purchasing a Partnership policy, you may want to consult with a trusted advisor or long-term care insurance agent so you are able to pick a long-term product that is right for you. If you want to buy a Partnership policy, please contact your local agent or an insurance company that is approved to sell Partnership policies, or the Office of Commissioner of Insurance for a list of carriers approved to sell Partnership policies - (404) 656-2070 or 1-800-656-2298 (toll-free)/website: https://oci.georgia.gov/. Some employers may also offer long-term care insurance policies. The state of Georgia does not sell Partnership policies; they administer and monitor the Long-Term Partnership Program.

Partnership policies are available from the participating insurance companies who are authorized by the Georgia Office of Insurance Commissioner to market and sell those policies.

Agents who wish to sell Partnership policies must complete 8 hours of training initially and then 4 more hours every 2 years thereafter.

Costs will vary and each company sets its own rates. A local insurance agent can provide specific information related to rates and premiums. Premiums can vary greatly across companies and within companies depending on what features are included in an individual policy.

For more information on the Georgia Long-Term Care Partnership Program: 

  • please visit our website at: www.dch.georgia.gov, or
  • call GeorgiaCares, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at: 1-866-552-4464 Option 4.

Any consumer experiencing errors or problems with the exact contact from the list below can visit our OCI website and do an independent new query on an insurer’s mailing address or phone numbers. The link to do that is: https://oci.georgia.gov/company-search