One new and fast-growing option for elder care is long-term care insurance. Although fewer than 15 percent of firms offered this benefit in the mid-1990s, nearly 70 percent offer it now. This type of insurance covers medical, social, custodial, and personal services for people who suffer from chronic physical or mental illnesses or disabling injury or disease over an extended period of time. Typically, coverage is offered to employees on an employee-pay-all basis. Premium rates are age based, and some plans set a maximum age (typically 79) for participation. Benefit maximums are related to care site (e.g.,nursing home versus day care center) and include lifetime limits.