Lifetime HealthCare
Planning Center

NAIFA-WA is urging changes to a long-term services bill, HB 1323, to protect employees who have purchased long-term care coverage.

Most states require financial professionals to provide consumers with a copy of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners publication “A Shopper’s Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance” before completing an LTC insurance sale.

NAIFA is encouraging the efforts of Indiana state Sen. Greg Walker and Rep. Martin Carbaugh to replace the Indiana Long Term Care Insurance Program, also known as the RWJ Partnership, with legislation (HB 1405 and SB 261) to create a Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) Partnership.

NAIFA supports Maryland state legislation that would provide consumers in the state with easier access to resources and educational materials on long-term care (LTC) planning. A NAIFA-Maryland member served on the Task Force on LTC Education and Planning that made recommendations that helped shape the bill, HB 599, Public Health – Long Term Care Planning.

Policyholders are looking for more than just a policy these days. Customers want an insurance agent who acts as their trusted advisor, collaborating with them to protect their assets and help reach financial goals. In fact, 75% of policyholders would switch insurers to get more personalized service.

If you have a client who can’t afford their policy – especially if it’s due to health problems – you may want to help them look into a life settlement. Of course, this leaves them without any death benefit protection, which isn’t ideal. But if they either don’t need the coverage or have no financial option but to let it lapse, a settlement may be the ideal solution.

Over the holidays, I had time to read a very interesting book that seems to directly relate the COVID-19 Pandemic chain of events. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Event by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Although the book discusses the black swan phenomenon in relation to investing, it seems to hit home when looking at the impact and rational that is surfacing around the COVID-19 Pandemic. The book focuses on three principal characteristics. The event is rare and unpredictable. It is an outlier so rare that even the possibility of such an event is not identified. The event produces a catastrophic impact. And finally, we create an explanation that makes it appear less random and more probable and eventually predictable. Interestingly, there are some positive Black Swans such as the impressive success of Google and Facebook. On the other hand, there is the tragic events of 9/11 which fits as a Black Swan. The COVID-19 pandemic that is taking its toll on individual families, entire generations, and the global economy also qualifies as a “Black Swan event."

As an advisor to individuals on Medicare or advising a caregiver to someone on Medicare, you require accurate information. One of the best reference tools for you to share with them is Medicare publications. They are easy to access on Medicare.gov and available on a variety of topics. Here are a few that I find outstanding.