News
August 22, 2014
External Affairs Branch
(916) 795-3991
Robert Udall Glazier, Deputy Executive Officer
Brad Pacheco, Chief, Office of Public Affairs
Contact: Jeanie Esajian, Information Officer
newsroom@calpers.ca.gov
Applying for CalPERS Long-Term Care Just Got Easier
Public employees, retirees, and family members can now apply online
SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) just made it easier for public employees, retirees, and family members to apply for CalPERS Long-Term Care coverage with the launch of a new online application. The streamlined process allows interested parties to create an online account, through which they can access the online application and monitor their account to see if they have been accepted for coverage.
“Deciding if long-term care is right for you or your family requires a lot of thought and consideration, and anything we can do to make that process easier and more convenient can only help in that decision-making process,” said Ann Boynton, Deputy Executive Officer for Benefit Programs Policy and Planning. “Our new CalPERS Long-Term Care online application allows California’s public employees, retirees, and their qualified family members the ability to apply for coverage in a very user-friendly manner.”
Along with the launch of the online application, a new video that helps clarify common misunderstandings about long-term care is now available. “Myth versus Fact” tackles common misunderstandings about long-term care and provides clarification. It can be viewed at CalPERS On-Line.
In addition to the online application, other enhancements to the CalPERS Long-Term Care website include regional cost-of-care information and a cost-of-care calculator. Regional cost of care compares the actual expenses for skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and home health providers for more than 135 defined regions across the U.S. The cost-of-care calculator is an online tool designed to help evaluate how much money individuals would need to save each month to pay for future long-term care services. Also on the site is a dedicated section for employers, seeking information to better understand long-term care, and more specifically CalPERS Long-Term Care, which can then be shared with their employees.
Other resources found on the CalPERS Long-Term Care website include videos of personal testimonials; the latest news and updates about CalPERS Long-Term Care; and participant tools, such as designee and authorization forms, billing method change forms, and claim forms.
All current California public employees, retirees, their spouses, parents, parents-in-law, adult children, and adult siblings between the ages of 18 and 79 are eligible to apply for coverage. Applicants must meet underwriting requirements for acceptance into the program. Public employees do not need to be a member of CalPERS or a CalPERS Long-Term Care participant in order for their relatives to be eligible.
More information about CalPERS Long-Term Care can be found atwww.calperslongtermcare.com, or by calling (800) 908-9119.
CalPERS is the largest public pension fund in the U.S., with more than $300 billion in assets. CalPERS administers health and retirement benefits on behalf of 3,089 public school, local agency, and state employers. Members number more than 1.7 million in the CalPERS retirement system and more than 1.3 million in its health plans. Additionally, CalPERS administers its Long-Term Care Program for nearly 145,000 participants, backed by the more than $3.7 billion in assets of its Long-Term Care Fund. For more information about CalPERS, visit www.calpers.ca.gov.