Case management services and long-term care insurance benefits.

Early versions of long-term care insurance were medically driven and institutionally biased. By design, these policies discouraged inappropriate or ineffective use of covered services. Newer long-term care policies have sought to meet policyholders' needs for greater flexibility in covered services and eligibility requirements. While significantly increasing the sales potential of these policies, this flexibility also means that insurers now must find a way to ensure that services are used appropriately and cost-effectively. One experienced provider of this "gatekeeping" service is the case management system.