American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance

Well-intentioned insurance agents inadvertently price far to many older single women out of the long-term care insurance marketplace declares the director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI).

“Women who are on their own at older ages need long-term care insurance more than anyone but when a solution that’s beyond their ability to pay is presented, they do what every responsible person would do, they simply say no,” explains Jesse Slome, director of AALTCI, the national long-term care insurance association.   ”Agents who don’t take price into account when helping single women age 60 and older plan are doing a disservice and leaving millions of women vulnerable.”

Slome was advising agents who offer long-term care insurance solutions that millions of women who are divorced, widowed or never married have both special needs and often financial circumstances that need to be taken into account.

“Women on their own are likely to need long-term care and don’t have a spouse or partner who can pitch in and provide some or all of that care,” Slome noted.  “Plus, they generally have less income and far less in terms of savings with which to pay for optional insurance products such as LTC insurance.”

There are viable solutions that agents need to share and start their discussions with, Slome advocated.  “For example, stop including the three percent inflation option with every proposal you make,” the advocate suggested.  “It’s a great option but will put the price beyond what many women can and will afford to pay.”

Slome shared an example of what he considers a viable option.  “For about $160-per-month, a 60-year old single female can buy coverage with a 1.5 percent annual growth of benefits so that her available benefit pool will equal $250,000 at age 85,” he noted.  “The same coverage with a 3 percent growth option will cost $241 monthly and while the benefit pool will be larger, if the individual says no to coverage, she has nothing to pay should care be needed.”

A second option shared involved a plan that would reduce the pool of benefits from $250,000 to $155,000 at age 85.  “For many women that will be more that enough coverage to pay for care services in their own home for quite some time,” Slome shared.  “The savings in insurance premiums will be about $360 a year.”

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance advocates for the importance of long-term care planning and helps consumers connect with knowledgeable professionals who are independent advisors.   Consumers looking for local long-term care insurance cost comparisons should visit the Association’s website at www.aaltci.org or can call the organization’s national headquarters at 818-597-3227.

Tags: insurance, long term care, long-term care insurance, money, savings, seniors, study, women

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