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Michael Fox Insurance
Michael Fox
Michael Fox Insurance

Michael Fox — Licensed Insurance Advisor

Michael Fox Insurance

Phone: 856-676-9358

Email: michaelfox13@gmail.com

michaelfoxinsurance.online

Understanding Nationwide CareMatters II & CareMatters Together

Plain-English guide — Michael Fox Insurance

Printed June 18, 2026

Plain-English Guide

One pool of money. Three possible jobs.

Nationwide CareMatters II and CareMatters Together are "linked-benefit" policies — a smarter way to pay for long-term care. Your money either pays for care, becomes a death benefit, or comes back to you. The dollars don't disappear. Here's how it actually works, in plain English.

Book a 20-min conversation CareMatters II brochure CareMatters Together brochure

The simple idea

Your money has three possible jobs — and one of them will happen.

Old-school long-term care was "use it or lose it." CareMatters flipped that. Whatever path your life takes, your dollars stay working for you or your family.

If you need care

Tax-free cash shows up in your bank account every month — use it however you want: in-home aides, family caregivers, assisted living, modifications to your home. No receipts, no reimbursement paperwork.

If you pass away

Whatever you didn't use for care goes to your beneficiaries as a tax-free death benefit. The money never disappears — it just changes jobs.

If you change your mind

A Return of Premium option lets you walk away later in life and get a large portion of your money back. It's insurance, but the dollars stay yours.

How it works

From premium to paycheck — the 5-step journey

  1. 01

    You fund the policy

    Pay one lump sum, or spread payments over 5 or 10 years. After that, you're done. Premiums are guaranteed not to rise — ever.

  2. 02

    Nationwide builds your benefit pool

    Your dollars multiply into a much larger pool of money earmarked for long-term care — often 3x to 7x what you put in, depending on age and design.

  3. 03

    A claim is triggered

    You qualify when you can't perform 2 of 6 daily living activities (bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence) — or have severe cognitive impairment like Alzheimer's. A simple licensed-professional assessment confirms it.

  4. 04

    Cash arrives every month

    Nationwide deposits your full monthly benefit — no bills, no reimbursement. Use it for a family member, a home aide, a facility, equipment, anything. That's the 'cash indemnity' advantage.

  5. 05

    Anything unused becomes a death benefit

    If you never claim — or only claim a little — the rest passes income-tax-free to your kids, grandkids, or charity.

Interactive

How big does your pool get?

One of the most powerful things about CareMatters is leverage. The premium you pay today becomes a much larger pool of long-term care dollars later. Play with the sliders.

See the leverage in action

Move the sliders to see how a one-time deposit becomes a much larger pool of long-term care dollars. Indicative figures only — your real quote depends on health, gender, and design.

Your age60
Single premium$100,000

Total LTC pool

$460,000

~4.6x your premium

Monthly cash benefit

$6,389/mo

For up to 6 years, tax-free

Death benefit if unused

~$184,000

Tax-free to beneficiaries

II vs. Together

Which one is right for you?

Both products use the same Nationwide engine. The big difference is who shares the pool.

CareMatters II

For one person

Your pool. Your benefits. Your death benefit. Best for singles, widowed individuals, or one spouse buying their own coverage.

CareMatters Together

For two people sharing one pool

Both spouses are insured under one contract. Either one — or both at the same time — can draw from the same pool of LTC dollars. The death benefit pays at the second passing.

FeatureCareMatters IICareMatters Together
Who it's forOne person — single, widowed, or a spouse buying their own policyTwo people sharing one pool — typically married couples or partners
Issue ages30 – 6530 – 70
Premium optionsSingle-pay, 5-pay, or 10-paySingle-pay, 5-pay, or 10-pay
LTC benefit typeCash indemnity — paid as cash, not reimbursementCash indemnity — paid as cash, not reimbursement
Benefit poolYour pool, just for youONE shared pool — either person can use the full amount, and both can claim at the same time
Death benefitPaid at your death (less any LTC used)Paid at the SECOND death (last-survivor design)
Inflation options3% or 5% simple, or 3% / 5% compound3% or 5% simple, or 3% / 5% compound
Return of PremiumAvailable — get back a portion if you change your mindAvailable — get back a portion if you change your mind

CareMatters II

One person, one pool

Insured
↓

One pool of LTC dollars

Used only for you

CareMatters Together

Two people, ONE shared pool

Spouse 1
Spouse 2
↓

ONE shared pool of LTC dollars

Either spouse — or both — can draw from it

The CareMatters difference

Cash indemnity. Not reimbursement.

Most LTC products make you submit receipts and wait. CareMatters just deposits the full monthly benefit into your account once you qualify. You decide where it goes:

  • Pay your daughter to be your caregiver
  • Hire an aide from your neighborhood, not an agency
  • Cover assisted living or a nursing home
  • Install a stair lift, grab bars, or a walk-in shower
  • Pay for groceries, transportation, or housekeeping
  • Cover anything else care-related — your choice

Real-world examples

What CareMatters looks like in real life

Three illustrative stories — not actual clients. Numbers are indicative; your design will be tailored to you.

CareMatters II

Linda, age 58 — widowed

$100,000 single premium into CareMatters II

Premium
$100,000 one time
Benefit
~$7,000/month for 6 years (about $500,000 LTC pool)

Eight years later Linda has a stroke. She moves home from rehab and hires a part-time aide. Nationwide deposits $7,000 in her checking account every month — she pays the aide, her daughter who took family leave, and a meal-delivery service. If she never used the benefit, her two kids would have received roughly $160,000 tax-free at her death.

CareMatters Together

Mark & Susan, both 62 — married 35 years

$10,000/year for 10 years into CareMatters Together

Premium
$100,000 total over 10 years
Benefit
~$8,500/month shared pool for 6 years

Mark gets diagnosed with Parkinson's at 71. He draws on the pool for 4 years of in-home care. When he passes, Susan still has the remaining benefit available — and three years later uses it during her own recovery from a hip fracture. Whatever's left passes to their kids at the second death.

CareMatters II

Robert, age 55 — single dad of two teens

$7,500/year for 10 years (10-pay)

Premium
$75,000 total
Benefit
~$6,000/month for 6 years

Robert never wants his kids to become his caregivers. He picks the 10-pay so he's fully paid up by 65. If he never needs care, ~$200,000 in tax-free death benefit goes to his kids. If he does, he protects his nest egg AND keeps his kids living their own lives.

Myth vs. truth

Let's clear up the confusion

'If I never use it, I lose all my money.'

Truth: False. CareMatters is a hybrid — unused dollars become a tax-free death benefit, and Return of Premium lets you walk away with most of your money back.

'Cash indemnity and reimbursement are basically the same.'

Truth: Not even close. Reimbursement means you submit bills, wait, and only get paid back for approved services. Cash indemnity means Nationwide just deposits the full monthly benefit. You pay your daughter. You pay the handyman who installed the ramp. No paperwork battles.

'I'll just self-insure.'

Truth: You can — but every dollar you spend on care is a dollar that came from a tax-deferred account (income tax) or a brokerage account (capital gains). CareMatters benefits arrive tax-free, leveraging your dollars 3–7x.

'Premiums could go up like old-school LTC.'

Truth: Not with CareMatters. Premiums are contractually guaranteed not to increase. That's one of the biggest reasons people switched away from traditional standalone LTC.

Read it for yourself

Download the official Nationwide brochures

These are the same PDFs Nationwide gives to licensed advisors and clients. No email required. Read them at your own pace, then bring your questions to our call.

CareMatters II & Together Brochure

Official Nationwide client brochure (PDF)

Download PDF

CareMatters Frequently Asked Questions

Official Nationwide FAQ document (PDF)

Download PDF

FAQ

Common questions

Let's design one for you — no obligation.

In 20 minutes I'll walk you through real numbers for your age and health — what the premium would be, how big your pool would get, and what it would actually look like at claim time.

Book your callStart the LTC intake

Important — educational illustration only

The figures shown are hypothetical and produced by a simplified model for education and discussion only. They are not a quote, projection, recommendation, or guarantee of future results. Actual outcomes vary based on your individual circumstances — including age, health, income, tax filing status, state of residence, time horizon, market performance, product design, carrier underwriting, and changes in tax law. Tax-advantaged strategies referenced (e.g., Roth conversions, cash value loans, qualified plan withdrawals) carry rules and consequences that depend on your specific situation; cash value life insurance assumes the contract is properly structured (non-MEC) and remains in force. Nothing on this page constitutes tax, legal, accounting, or individualized investment advice. Please consult your own licensed tax professional, attorney, and financial advisor before acting on any concept presented here.

Keep exploring

Related resources worth your time

Other LTC and care-planning guides you may like.

Understanding Long-Term Care

Start here — what LTC is, what it costs, and how modern policies work.

Read more

LTC Rider vs. Chronic Illness Rider

The other way to add care benefits — and how it differs from CareMatters.

Read more

Single Parents & Long-Term Care

Why one-income households especially need this protection.

Read more

10 LTC Objections — Answered

The most common pushbacks, with honest answers.

Read more
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