An option is what’s called short-term care insurance, now available from a number of companies. “There is currently a significant opportunity for Colorado seniors to get coverage at a significant savings,” explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

Colorado Long-Term Care Plan Savings

A just concluded analysis found that a 70-year-old Colorado woman could buy coverage for less than half of what a 70-year old woman in Chicago would pay.

“Each insurer establishes their pricing and often you can find and take advantage of some significant savings,” Slome explains. The Association was looking into home care benefits. “Most seniors today want the ability to age and ultimately receive care in their own home,” Slome notes. “Indeed most long-term care is provided in the home and that’s where a home care policy can be very beneficial.”

In this particular instance, the Association was looking at a policy that provided $1,050 in weekly home care benefits for a 52 week period. “In Denver, Colorado a 70-year-old woman would pay $519 for $54,600 of potential benefits,” the Association director shares. “In Chicago, a 70-year-old woman would pay $1,133 yearly for identical coverage.”

To learn more about long-term care planning, call the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance at 818-597-3227 or visit the organization’s website at https://www.aaltci.org.

Short-Term Care Insurance (STCI) presents a more affordable alternative to traditional long-term care insurance. For many seniors in Colorado, the cost of long-term care can be prohibitive, with monthly expenses ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 or more. STCI policies typically range from $50 to $200 per month, making them a viable option for those on a tighter budget. Additionally, STCI often has simpler qualification processes compared to long-term care insurance, which may involve extensive medical evaluations.

One significant advantage of STCI is that it usually comes with a 0-day deductible period. This means that benefits kick in immediately upon qualifying for coverage—an essential feature for seniors who may face sudden health issues or accidents requiring immediate assistance. Furthermore, STCI can complement Medicare coverage by providing additional financial support without overlapping restrictions found in traditional long-term care policies.

Many health issues requiring care are often resolved within a year; thus, STCI is tailored to meet these short-term needs effectively. It covers various services such as home health aides and nursing home stays for up to one year, ensuring that seniors receive necessary support during recovery periods without incurring overwhelming expenses.

The post Colorado Long-Term Care Plan Offers Significant Savings appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

“Mutual of Omaha, Northwestern Mutual and New York Life all reported more covered lives than a decade ago,” shares Jesse Slome, director of the long-term care insurance organization. “Unfortunately, companies that were once leaders in the industry have long ceased offering new policies and, as a result, their lives in force have decreased over the same period.”

According to Slome and analysis reported in 2023, Mutual of Omaha and Northwestern Mutual both had 100,000 additional covered lives compared to what they reported in 2013. The largest company in terms of covered long-term care insurance lives, Genworth a top long-term care insurance provider, reported about 200,000 fewer lives in force for the same period.

“It is important for consumers as well as insurance professionals to understand that even when a company ceases offering new policies, existing policies stay on the books and are serviced when claims are filed,” Slome adds. “The past decade has definitely been difficult for some insurers offering traditional long-term care insurance. But, it is important to recognize that some insurers have reported growth.”

For example, Slome notes that Mutual of Omaha which had 110,664 lives in force as reported in 2013, reported 212,213 lives a decade later. “Some may view this as slow growth but it’s quite the contrary,” Slome explains. “While long-term care planning is something every aging American should undertake, long-term care insurance is a viable option for a specific and rather small segment of the overall population.”

Top Long-Term Care Insurance Companies Report – See Complete Data

Access the complete data regarding leading long-term care insurers lives in force at https://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/ltcfacts-2024.php#LongTermCareInsurers-Lives.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of planning and supports insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid LTC solutions. Access the latest long-term care insurance statistics at https://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/ltcfacts-2024.php.

The post Three Top Long-Term Care Insurance Companies Grew Over Past Decade appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

Costs for traditional long-term care insurance coverage are level compared to the prior year according to the 2024 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index released today by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

“In some cases, prices decreased a little compared to the prior year,” states Jesse Slome, directory of the national organization that advocates for the importance of long-term care planning. “The declines were minimal and there were a few instances where costs rose but again the increases were nominal.”

According to the organization’s 2024 Price Index report, a couple, both age 55, who each obtain long-term care protection valued at $800,000 (total) for their needs at age 85 can expect to pay around $5,000 annually.

“This couple could pay as little as $2,080 combined if they opted for policies that did not include any future growth of benefits,” Slome acknowledges.  “Adding a 3 percent annual inflation growth factor increases their cost to $5,025-per-year. Selecting coverage that will grow at 5 percent annually increases their cost to almost $8,600 annually.”

While prices for traditional long-term care insurance offerings remained relatively level, the same was not true for linked benefit policies.

“Costs for linked benefit products are substantially lower compared to a year ago” reports the long-term care insurance expert.  “The linked-benefit market is more competitive and life insurers clearly are looking to capture more premium. Rising interest rates provided them with an opportunity to offer reduced premium costs,” Slome explains.

According to the 2024 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index, a single 55-year-old male purchasing a life plus LTC policy providing around $520,000 of potential long-term care benefits at age 90 could expect to pay $5,022 in annual premiums. The Association’s 2023 Price Index reported that same coverage would have cost $5,600. Access the 2023 LTC Price Index at https://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/ltcfacts-2023.php.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance ( https://www.aaltci.org ) advocates for the importance of planning and supports insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid LTC solutions. To learn more or to connect long-term care insurance specialists visit the organization’s website or call 818-597-3227.

The post Costs long-term care insurance 2024 reported by AALTCI appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

Click to access 2024 Long term care insurance statistics

Costs for linked benefit long-term care insurance coverage are lower than a year ago according to the 2024 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index released today by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

“Great news for aging individuals who are thinking about their risk of needing care one day,” states Jesse Slome, director of the long-term care insurance organization. The 2024 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index is the organization’s annual compilation of costs for both traditional and linked benefit long-term care insurance.

”Interest rates are significantly higher than a year ago and that has enabled some insurers to reprice their products,” Slome explains. “Someone applying for new coverage in 2024 can obtain more coverage for less cost than basically the identical coverage purchased a year ago.”

According to the 2024 Price Index, a single 55-year-old male purchasing coverage that would provide around $520,000 of potential long-term care benefits at age 90 could expect to pay $5,022 in annual premiums. The same coverage would have cost $5,600 according to the Association’s 2023 LTC Price Index.

“Savings were higher for women according to our analysis and those who paid for coverage with a single lump sum would enjoy greater savings this year,” Slome added.

“There are more insurers offering various types of linked benefit products that combine life insurance with the potential for long-term care benefits,” Slome explained. “There are significant differences between many of these products and going on price alone or just a single recommendation from your financial representative isn’t always the best course of action.”

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of planning and supports insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid LTC solutions. To learn more or to connect with linked-benefit long-term care insurance specialists visit the organization’s website or call 818-597-3227.

The post Linked Benefit Long-Term Care Insurance Prices Drop Up To 27 Percent appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

“Premiums for buyers are virtually identical to last year; some are actually slightly lower,” reports Jesse Slome, director of the organization.  “However, the spread between the lowest and highest prices for basically identical policy coverage has grown.”

According to the annual analysis, a 55-year-old male purchasing $165,000 of immediate benefits could expect to pay $900 a year. In 2022, the organization reported premium costs of $950. This year, adding an inflation growth option that increased available benefit levels by 3 percent yearly would cost $2,100, a $100 decline from the prior year. “The additional cost reflects the fact that policy benefits will be worth over $400,000 at age 85 and even more if care is needed after that,” Slome explains.

Women continue to pay significantly more for long-term care insurance. “Costs for a 55-year-old female applicant purchasing the same level of benefits would be $1,500 and $3,600,” Slome shares. A year earlier the premiums reported in the analysis were $1,500 and $3,700 respectively.

The 2023 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index reports available costs for men, women and couples at ages 55, 60 and 65. “We strive to show that there isn’t one fixed option and that coverage can be less costly than many people perceive,” Slome adds. “We show multiple levels of inflation protection which, while important, will significantly add to the yearly cost of coverage.”

Adding a 3 percent inflation growth option to base coverage tends to double the premium cost according to AALTCI. “It will be interesting to see how consumers now deal with concerns about future inflation,” Slome says. “And, will rising interest rates give one or more insurers incentive to actually lower premiums going forward?”

The most notable difference from prior reports is the spread in costs between the lowest and highest priced policies on the market. “In some cases, one insurer literally charges more than twice the cost of another for virtually identical coverage,” Slome reports. “I am not sure what accounts for such a significant difference but it reinforces our belief that in 2023 consumer should do comparison shopping before making a decision.”

To see the 2023 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index information for traditional LTCi policies, go to https://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/ltcfacts-2023.php. The organization will add comparisons for linked benefit policies later this month.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of long-term care planning. Since 1998 AALTCI has supported insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid long-term care solutions.  To access information, go to https://www.aaltci.org or call the organization at 818-597-3227.

The post 2023 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index Released appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

“Claim benefit payouts for policyholders with traditional long-term care insurance coverage grew from $12.3 Billion in 2021,” reports Jesse Slome, AALTCI’s director.  “The increase in benefit payouts is expected as policyholders age and start to require care.” For calendar-year 2018 the Association reported that long-term care insurers paid out $10.3 Billion.

According to Slome, the amount reported represents claims for those owning traditional or health-based long-term care insurance.  “Data for linked-benefit policies is harder to calculate because there are so many different variations of these policies,” Slome acknowledges. “Certainly, some of these policies are paying out benefits for those needing long-term care but the value may still be nominal.”

For 2022, the Association reports that benefits were paid to about 345,000 policyholders. “This represents an increase over the prior year,” Slome shares. For 2021 AALTCI reported benefits were paid to 336,000 claimants. During the calendar-year 2018, AALTCI data reported 303,000 policyholders received claim benefits.

“Long-term care insurance benefits are mostly paid to individuals who receive benefits for qualifying care in their own home or in an assisted living facility,” Slome points out. “Benefits also are paid when policyholders require care in skilled nursing home settings.” The AALTCI data is gathered and corroborated with leading industry actuaries including historical average annual growth rates from the last 10 years from companies’ year-end reporting data.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of long-term care planning. Since 1998 AALTCI has supported insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid long-term care solutions.  To access information, go to https://www.aaltci.org or call the organization at 818-597-3227.

The post Paid Long-Term Care Insurance 2022 Claims Grow appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

The overwhelming majority of consumers experiencing a premium increase on their long-term care insurance chose to pay the higher premium.  The findings of a new analysis were released today by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

“Between 50 and 60 percent of policyholders choose to keep their original policy benefit levels and pay the increased premium,” explains Jesse Slome, American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance director.  ”While no one likes to pay more money, these individuals recognize the value of this protection because they are older and thus closer to the risk of needing long-term care.”

According to the Association between 20 and 30 percent of individuals notified of an approved premium increase chose to adjust their policy provisions.  “Many buyers initially selected the 5 percent inflation growth option,” Slome notes.  “When they review their policy benefits along with their present financial situation, it often makes sense to reduce the growth factor and thus avoid the premium increase.  In some cases, they may even pay less money for their continued long-term care insurance coverage.”

Between 10 and 20 percent of consumers elect the non-forfeiture option Slome shares.  “Typically, these individuals will stop paying premiums but will still qualify for benefits should they need qualifying care,” Slome notes.  “The last time we conducted such an analysis, it was common for only 1-3 percent of policyholders to drop coverage,” Slome adds.

The long-term care insurance executive attributed the change to ‘premium increase fatigue’ as well as two other factors.  “The long-term care insurance industry has failed to convey to consumers how this protection is benefiting hundreds of thousands of families each year,” Slome shares.
“And, for some, the value of accrued benefits are perceived to be sufficient for meeting future needs. Paying continued premium is viewed as no longer making financial sense.”

Rate Increases – Long-Term Care Insurance Data

Rate Increase and other long-term care insurance statistics,  To access the latest long-term care insurance statistics go to https://www.aaltci.org/ltcfacts-2022.php.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of long-term care planning and supports insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid long-term care solutions.  To access information go to https://www.aaltci.org or call the organization at 818-597-3227.

The post Rate Increases Long-Term Care Insurance; How Consumers Act appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

“More than 201,000 residents and staff of long-term care facilities died from Covid, about 23 percent of all deaths which is a staggering number,” declares Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.  ”People never wanted to go to nursing homes and Covid is only making people more aware that this is not a desirable option.”

“When care is needed, people want to remain in their own home, something the long-term care insurance industry has known for decades,” Slome admits.  “But everything associated with the product category focuses on skilled care with home care listed as a secondary benefit that is included.  Try selling that something people don’t want and, oh yes, charging a whole lot of money for it.”

Nursing Home Avoidance Protection

Instead, the long-term care insurance expert has advocated positioning long-term care insurance as ‘nursing home avoidance protection.’  “You buy this coverage for the very simple reason that you do not want to go into a nursing home,” he states.  “In fact, I wish State regulators would allow individuals to buy home care insurance protection with minimal benefits for skilled care, similar to what some short-term care policies permit.”

Slome points to the failed Washington Cares program as an example.  “While there were flaws in the effort, the State clearly understood the desire and need for a benefit that paid for home care,” Slome explains.  “Long-term care facilities do everything they can to safely serve individuals and I am confident will continue to do so.”

“If long-term care insurance is to ever become a viable option for more than a very small percentage of individuals, things need to change,” Slome advocates.  “Part of that change I believe needs to be a re-branding of the category and Covid certainly provides a great opportunity to do that.”

Covid Deaths Data

The data comes from a just-published study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.  According to the report, residents and staff of long-term care facilities accounted for 201,000 Covid deaths.  That amounted to about 23 percent of all deaths (680,000).  The report acknowledged the number could be even higher due to under-reporting.  At the inception of the pandemic, nearly half of all deaths occurred in long-term care facilities.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of long-term care planning and supports insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid LTC solutions.  To access the latest long-term care insurance statistics regarding need and insurance, visit the Association’s Data Center at www/aaltci.org/LTCFacts-2022/.

To obtain long-term care insurance costs from a long-term care insurance specialist call the organization at 818-597-3227 or visit their website www.aaltci.org.

The post Covid Deaths Should Prompt Rebranding Of Long-Term Care Insurance appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

January 21, 2022 – An analysis of over 5,000 long-term care insurance found that 80 was the mean age at time of claim according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

“People understand why they may need long-term care insurance,” states Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.  ”What they often ask is whether people actually benefit from owning this protection.  For that reason, we strive to share the most relevant and latest data regarding long-term care insurance claims.”

Slome shared new claims information with insurance professionals marketing long-term care insurance protection.  “The data reveals helpful information you’ll want to share with individuals considering long-term care insurance,” Slome advised.

Access Claims-Paid Data and Latest LTCi Statistics

According to Slome, the analysis reported data on 5,439 policyholders studied by the Connecticut Partnership for Long-Term Care.  “Over half (59%) of the claims were women and 41 percent of all claimants were not married at the time.  That’s important because many people are married when they start planning but should understand they may not have a spouse to provide care at older ages.”

Click here to access 2022 long-term care insurance statistics.

Among the data shared by the long-term care insurance expert was the amounts paid to date per-claimant.  “The mean was $142,043 but the largest claim was $1.9 million,” Slome shared.  “Those very large claims are definitely a risk but our analysis of years of long-term care insurance statistics validate my position that some amount of protection is always better than having none.”

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) advocates for the importance of planning and supports insurance professionals who market both traditional and hybrid LTC solutions.

To access the latest long-term care insurance claims statistics and other data visit the organization’s website at www.aaltci.org/LTCFacts-2022/.   To obtain long-term care quotes from a long-term care insurance specialist call the organization at 818-597-3227 or visit their website www.aaltci.org.

Slome is also head of the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance.  AAMSI supports insurance professionals who market Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement insurance products.  Access Medicare insurance statistics via the organization’s website.

The post Newest Long-Term Care Insurance Claims-Paid Data Shared appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

CLICK TO ACCESS 2022 Long-Term care Insurance Statistics

The 2022 price index for new long-term care insurance policies was published today by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI).

“Prices for new long-term care insurance have remained stable,” reports Jesse Slome, AALTCI’s director.   The annual report analyzes various standard policy levels for individuals who are ages 55, 60 and 65.

According to the 2022 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index a traditional policy valued at $165,000 in benefits can cost $950 annually for a 55-year-old male.   The equivalent coverage for a 55-year-old woman is $1,500.

“The index looks at policy costs available to the largest number of prospective individuals,” Slome explains.  “There definitely were options that could cost significantly more but that dissuades consumers from considering this important protection,” Slome adds.  The policy cost analysis found that costs between average and highest available policies could range from20 to 50 percent.

2022 Price Index – Rates Stable

“Prices for traditional long-term care insurance remained stable to last year for a number of reasons,” cites Slome.  “Insurers committed to the market have experience when evaluating the factors that go into pricing this insurance.”   Today, policies tend to limit the level of protection available with consumers willing to assume some of the financial responsibility the long-term care insurance expert adds.

“In addition, investment returns have remained relatively stable,” Slome adds.   Insurers depend on investing collected premiums.  “Premiums paid by policyholders only account for part of the dollars that insurers accumulate to pay future anticipated claims,” he notes.

The 2022 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index reported that a couple both age 65 could expect to pay $3,750 combined.  The two policies could provide each with $165,000 of future benefits.  Adding an option that increased future benefits by three percent annually would cost the couple almost twice as much ($7,150 combined).

The 2022 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index data can be accessed on the Association’s website.  The report compares costs for traditional long-term care insurance as compared to linked benefit options. To access, go to www.aaltci.org/LTCFacts-2022.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance advocates for the importance of long-term care planning.   The organization connects consumers with knowledgeable professionals who are independent advisors.  These specialists can provide information along with long-term care insurance quotes and policy comparisons for both traditional and linked benefit long-term care insurance options.

The post 2022 Price Index For Long-Term Care Insurance Released appeared first on American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.