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For the first time, Berkeley employees can sign up for long-term care insurance. The campus Human Resources benefits unit and the Berkeley Retirement Center for emeriti and retirees will co-sponsor information sessions on the new program March 17, 18 and 31 and April 1. The sessions, given by representatives from the CalPERS Office of Long Term Care, will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in room 150 of University Hall. No enrollment is necessary; seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees can apply for the insurance from April 1 through June 30. Long-term care is not covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medigap insurance. Such care includes personal assistance with tasks such as bathing, dressing, or eating for people impaired due to disease, an accident, or the frailty of old age. CalPERS has introduced long-term care insurance to hundreds of thousands of public employees and retirees. "We feel a 1998 application period is appropriate (for Berkeley) in light of the strong demand and continued interest for long-term care coverage," says Dan Schroepfer, who heads CalPERS' Office of Long-Term Care. Statistics indicate six out of every 10 people over age 65 will require some type of long-term care and, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, 43 percent will enter a nursing home at some point in their lives. The average annual cost of care in a nursing home for 1998 is estimated to be $44,000. With inflation, that cost is expected to rise. To receive an enrollment kit before the April 1 application period begins,
place your name on the mailing list by calling (800) 338-2244.
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