After a careful and comprehensive review, Unum ended sales of new group long term care contracts as of Feb. 7, 2012. This change will not impact our current relationship with existing customers or their employees. We will continue to administer existing policies, including accepting future enrollees on those policies. Our customers and their employees should be reassured that Unum is committed to supporting these plans and the employees who are on claim or may be on claim in the future.

There are no changes to the coverage or contractual rights of current insureds.

As a result of this decision we'll be adjusting the LTC content that is provided on this site and some materials and/or links may no longer be available.

Many people believe long term care is only for the elderly, but 57% of people who file a long term care claim with Unum are under age 65, according to internal data cited in Unum's 2008 Buyers Study.

And the average age of those claimants is 54, according to the Unum study.

These are just a few of the conditions that can occur at any age and prompt the need for long term care insurance:

• arthritis
• heart disease
• stroke
• brain trauma
• cancer

Long term care coverage helps protect against the costs of care and gives you choices about where that care is offered.

A growing number of employers offer a long term care benefit employees can purchase based on their own needs. The younger you are when you buy the insurance, the lower the price will be.

Understanding the need for long term care coverage is the first step in helping to preserve your assets against the costs of that care.