ALBANY, N.Y., May 17 –A state-wide Long Term Care Insurance Education and Awareness campaign, providing a wide array of options aimed at helping families strengthen their financial security, has been launched in New York State.

The campaign will be carried out through television, radio and print advertisements, direct mailings to the public, and county Long Term Care Insurance Resource Centers. There also will be a website " http://www.planaheadny.com/ " and a new long term care insurance helpline at 1-866-950-PLAN.

Securing long term care insurance allows New Yorkers to prepare for future needs and maintain control of their familys finances well into the future, Governor George E. Pataki said in announcing the campaign.This public awareness campaign is designed to help all New Yorkers think about their future and the future of loved ones, and most importantly, provide them with a wide array of options as they make crucial decisions about their future.

The latest data shows that the average annual cost for nursing home care is approximately $90,000 for each resident. Based on this cost figure, the state is encouraging all New Yorkerswith moderate household incomes of $50,000 to consider purchasing long term care insurance as part of their financial planning.

New Yorkers may choose to purchase New York State Partnership for Long Term Care (NYSPLTC) insurance, or a traditional, non-partnership policy offered by insurance companies.Currently there are 18 insurance companies that offer long term care insurance policies in New York.

The NYSPLTC initiative is a unique program that links private long term care insurance with Medicaid Extended Coverage to provide lifetime long term care coverage to partnership policyholders while also creating Medicaid asset protections. There are two types of Medicaid asset protections offered under the partnership program, including:

The Total Asset Protection Partnership, which allows policyholders to apply for Medicaid Extended coverage while protecting all their assets when they need long term care beyond a minimum policy coverage period. Medicaid Extended Coverage requires part of the partnership policyholders income to be used toward the cost of care;

The Dollar-for-Dollar Asset Protection Partnership, which provides limited Medicaid asset protection when policyholders apply for Medicaid Extended Coverage.

To help make it more affordable, the annual amount of premiums paid for long term care insurance policies can be used for a 20 percent tax credit on New York State income-tax returns.

The cost of premiums will be based on age, coverage, and type of asset protection selected. A partnership policy with total asset protection and a minimum daily benefit of $180 for nursing home care and $90 for home care per day would have an average monthly premium of approximately $107 for a person 50 years of age. The partnership premium for the same plan would increase with a persons age. In comparison, the monthly partnership premium for a 65 year old would be $216. These premium rates are for a policy that covers a minimum duration of three years of nursing home care or six years of home care.