The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has developed standards that protect consumers. Look for a policy including:

• At least one year of nursing home or home health care coverage, including intermediate and custodial care. Nursing home or home health care benefits should not be limited primarily to skilled care.
  
  
• Coverage for Alzheimer's disease, should the policyholder develop it after purchasing the policy.
  
  
• An inflation protection option. The policy should offer a choice among:
  
  
  • automatically increasing the initial benefit level on an annual basis
    
    
  • a guaranteed right to increase benefit levels periodically without providing evidence of insurability
    
    
  • or covering a specific percentage of actual or reasonable charges
    
    
• An "outline of coverage" that systematically describes the policy's benefits, limitations, and exclusions, and also allows you to compare it with others. A long-term care insurance shopper's guide that helps you decide whether long-term care insurance is appropriate for you.
  
  
• A guarantee that the policy cannot be canceled, nonrenewed, or otherwise terminated because you get older or suffer deterioration in physical or mental health.
  
  
• The right to return the policy within 30 days after you have purchased the policy (if for any reason you do not want it) and to receive a premium refund.
  
  
• No requirement that policyholders:
  
  
  • first be hospitalized in order to receive nursing home benefits or home health care benefits
    
    
  • first receive skilled nursing home care before receiving intermediate or custodial nursing home care
    
    
  • first receive nursing home care before receiving benefits for home health care.