From Awareness to Action: How to Leverage LTC Awareness Month with Employers

Each November, Long Term Care Awareness Month (LTCAM) plays a vital role in helping more families understand the importance of LTC planning. But what about in the employee benefits space?

LTCAM can also be a springboard to educate employers about this often-overlooked area of benefit planning and bring solutions like LTC insurance (LTCi) into the spotlight.

Here are five takeaways that can turn awareness into action.

Open the door: It’s no secret that employers want to build benefit packages with a variety of products that are as diverse as today’s workforce. And they need to know there’s room for LTCi in this conversation. LTCAM gives you permission to start new conversations and naturally introduce LTCi as a value-add benefit.

Reconnect and restart: Not your first time discussing LTCi with an employer client? Not a problem! LTCAM is also the perfect opportunity to restart recent conversations or reconnect with a long-lost lead, framing it as a timely check-in – not another sales pitch.

Be an educator first, not a salesperson: Education drives engagement. Hosting an in-person LTC awareness session is a great way to educate prospects and clients at any stage of the sales cycle; or host a webinar to expand your reach! Educational topics can include:

• Understanding LTC and how it impacts the financial, physical, and emotional health of entire families
• The growing cost of care
• Caregiver impact on the workforce

You should also offer educational flyers, infographics, and other take-away or leave-behind materials, which are often available from your carrier partners.

Highlight the ROI: When the time is right, remind employers that LTCi isn’t just about future care, it’s also a business solution. Connect LTCi with:

• Employee demand for employers to provide financial planning tools and overall wellness support
• Solving for productivity, loyalty, retention, and other business goals
• A comprehensive benefits strategy, including cost-effective voluntary, employer-paid, and executive carve-out options
• A greater recognition of the need for LTC planning, as many of today’s workers have learned LTC lessons thanks to firsthand caregiving experiences

Keep up the momentum: LTCAM may end on November 30, but you’re just getting started. Connect with your clients and prospects in the new year; pitch off-cycle enrollments after a busy open enrollment season; and hold additional awareness sessions or share educational materials to keep the topic fresh. By keeping the conversation going, you can become an indispensable resource for employers, decision-makers and their employees.

LTCAM merely opens the door to meaningful conversations; your strategy and expertise will keep it open and help more organizations see LTCi not just as another benefit, but as a powerful way to protect their workforce and their business.

LifeSecure is a NAIFA partner. Click here to learn more about the company and get in touch with the LifeSecure Sales team.