How do you submit a long term care insurance invoice for reimbursement?

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) says reimbursement typically arrives within 10 days after all required documents are received. Genworth's payments page lists 20 business days for invoices in good order. Both clocks start only when the paperwork is complete, so the work you do before you hit send decides how fast the money comes back.

This guide walks through the submission steps in order, using what the insurers themselves publish.

What has to happen before you send the first invoice?

Your claim has to be open and approved. Genworth lists six stages on its claims pages: Notice of Claim, Assessment, Initial Eligibility, Payments, Ongoing Eligibility and Claim Closure. Invoices are paid in the Payments stage.

John Hancock says its eligibility review usually takes about 40 business days from initiation to decision, depending on how soon it receives the information it asks for. If someone other than the insured will manage the claim, John Hancock asks for financial power of attorney or guardianship papers early to avoid delays, plus a HIPAA authorization if the insurer should talk with anyone besides the insured.

Keep the approval letter. It names the approved providers, the services in the plan of care and the elimination period that applies.

Which form should you use for a private caregiver?

Agencies and facilities send their own itemized bills. A caregiver you hire directly usually needs the insurer's own form.

• Genworth: the LTC invoice form for independent care providers, one page for days 1 to 15 and a second page for days 16 to 31.
• John Hancock: the Independent Care Provider service bill, or the CareGiver app for approved independent providers.
• MetLife: a monthly invoice form completed in its entirety, with one timesheet per caregiver per month.
• FLTCIP: the Informal Caregiver Invoice form when you submit by email, fax or mail.

Download the current version from the insurer's claims page each time you start a new month of paperwork, since forms are revised.

What information does the invoice need?

The insurers' forms ask for close to the same core items.

• Insured's name, policy number and claim number, printed clearly. Genworth's form says this routes the invoice to the right Benefit Analyst.
• Caregiver's name, phone, address and relationship to the insured (Genworth and FLTCIP both have a relationship field).
• One date of service per line, with time in and time out marked a.m. or p.m.
• Total hours, hourly or daily rate and the charge for each day.
• The services provided. John Hancock's form has checkboxes for bathing, continence, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring and cognitive supervision.
• Signatures and dates from both the caregiver and the insured or legal representative.

John Hancock's benefit reimbursement page sums it up: invoices should "outline each date of service, the type of service provided and the charge for the service."

When should the invoice be signed and dated?

After the care is done. Genworth's form says the signature date cannot come before the last date of service on the invoice. FLTCIP says both the caregiver and the insured (or legal representative) must sign after services are rendered, and that handwritten signatures are required.

John Hancock says invoices billed in advance are denied. MetLife asks you not to submit invoices until after you've received service, even if you prepaid.

If the caregiver and the person signing for the insured are the same person, FLTCIP requires an additional signature from a third party to attest to the services, hours and payment.

What proof of payment do insurers accept?

Pay the caregiver in a way that leaves a bank record, and pay after the service dates.

• John Hancock lists cashed or deposited checks, cashier's checks, credit card or bank statements, evidence of electronic transactions and original money orders. Its guidelines say the payment date must be on or after the last date of service.
• FLTCIP accepts canceled checks (front and back), eStatements, money orders, online bill pay and payroll payments, and says the invoice total and the proof of payment amount must match.
• Both say cash, including checks written to cash, is not reimbursable.

John Hancock's guidelines also say a document with only a "PAID" stamp is not acceptable proof, and that the proof must show the name of the provider who was paid and the name of the person who paid.

Where do you send the invoice?

Use the channel your insurer lists, and use only one.

• Genworth: email ltcinvoices@ltc-claims.com, fax 888.557.5526, or mail to P.O. Box 40007, Lynchburg, VA 24506.
• John Hancock: upload through your online account or mail to John Hancock LTC Claims, P.O. Box 55231, Boston, MA 02205, with the policy and claim numbers.
• MetLife: mail to MetLife Long Term Care Claims, P.O. Box 14407, Lexington, KY 40512, or email LongTermCareClaims@metlife.com. MetLife says documents must be PDFs and it cannot open zip files, password protected files or links to outside storage sites.
• FLTCIP: your My LTCFEDS claims dashboard, claimsinfo@ltcfeds.gov, fax 1-866-513-2674, or mail to FLTCIP, Attn: FedPoint, LLC, P.O. Box 797, Greenland, NH 03840-0797.

FLTCIP says duplicate submissions of the same invoice cause processing delays.

How often should you submit?

John Hancock asks for invoices at least every 30 days and says a claim may close for inactivity otherwise. Its Independent Care Provider form can go in biweekly or monthly, and it says the online account and app allow weekly submissions.

FLTCIP's benefit booklets set an outer limit: written proof of claim is due within 12 months after the charges were incurred, or by April 1 of the following year, whichever is later. Check your own policy for its deadline.

What should you keep after you send it?

Save a copy of every page you sent, the proof of payment, the date sent and the method. FLTCIP says it confirms receipt within two to three business days, and its online dashboard shows real-time invoice status. A simple log of what went out and when makes any later follow-up much faster.

A quick send-off checklist

• Claim approved and caregiver listed in the plan of care.
• Current form from the insurer's site.
• Every line has a date, time in, time out, hours, rate and charge.
• Both signatures dated after the last service date.
• Proof of payment matching the invoice total, dated after service.
• Policy and claim number on every page.
• One submission channel, copy saved.

This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Your policy and your claim approval letter control what is reimbursed.

FAQ

Sources:
https://www.ltcfeds.gov/claims-information/reimbursement
https://cdn.ltcfeds.gov/planning-tools/downloads/Invoice-Submission-and-Reimbursement-Package.pdf
https://cdn.ltcfeds.gov/planning-tools/downloads/2.0-3.0-Using-Your-FLTCIP-Benefits.pdf
https://cdn.ltcfeds.gov/planning-tools/downloads/3.0-Benefit-Booklet.pdf
https://www.genworth.com/claims/long-term-care-claims/claims-process/payments
https://www.genworth.com/claims/long-term-care-claims/file-a-claim
https://www.genworth.com/dam/Americas/US/PDFs/Consumer/Forms/LTC-invoice-form.pdf
https://www.johnhancock.com/individual/help-center/long-term-care/claims
https://www.johnhancock.com/individual/help-center/long-term-care/understanding-the-claim-process/benefit-reimbursement
https://www.johnhancock.com/content/dam/onejohnhancock/pdfs/ltc-4208_guidelines_to_submitting_proof_of_payment.pdf
https://www.johnhancock.com/content/dam/jh-com/us/customer-support-and-self-service/long-term-care/LTC-ICPSB_Fillable.pdf
https://www.metlife.com/ltc/ltc-claims-process-claim-reimbursement