It’s Time to Stop Bashing Long-Term Care Insurance

Enough. Stop. The plethora of LTC insurance bashing articles has gotten to me.

These people aren’t bashing LTC insurance!

  • Mr. C. Vernon Duckett – he was able to take care of Helen, his most precious asset, with the best care possible AND continue to play golf four times a week for his own well-being.
  • Mary and Don – Don died the day before his 75th birthday after 10 years of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. He paid just over $18,000 in premium before receiving about $530,000 in tax-free cash benefits. Mary has received two rate increases and is the first to tell you she will never let her policy go. (names changed to preserve anonymity)
  • Ella Keith spent her 65th birthday in the hospital, having suffered a major stroke. Her family was able to keep her at home for the next 15 years because her LTC insurance policy paid over $300,000, almost half.
  • Russell Polston – he is not only happy with how his wife’s claim was paid, but also the three year claim paid for another family member.

Rate Increases and Why the Sky Isn’t Falling

Yes, there have been rate increases. Long-term care insurance is “guaranteed renewable” which means it can never be canceled as long as you pay your premium in a timely manner. It also means there can be a “class” rate increase, which means on an entire class of people, not just on individual policyholders at the whim of the insurance company. Frankly, I struggle with why this is a big deal when I look at my health insurance going from $330 a month for my husband and me in 1993 to $1690 a month in 2016. I’m not a math whiz, but isn’t that FIVE times as much?

I’ve had people come to me with a 90% rate increase on long-term care insurance.  After I compare what they can spend by age 80 vs. the benefits at that time, they peel themselves off the ceiling…I don’t have to do it for them. It’s all relative. Older policies were so underpriced that while a rate increase of 130% sounds terrible, it doesn’t even get the premium up to what is being charged today. Why were they so underpriced?

  1. No one knew how to price for long-term care back in the 80s and 90s.
  2. Companies thought many more people would let their policies lapse but most people don’t, even when they receive rate increases. They appreciate them for the gold they are.
  3. People are living much longer today than anyone expected, which means they are more likely to have a claim.
  4. Claims are lasting longer than expected, largely influenced by the really nice assisted living facilities that exist today but didn’t exist 30 years ago when I got in the LTCi business. The latest claims study (also from the Society of Actuaries) shows that women who need care longer than a year average 4.67 years and men 3.8 years, as opposed to 3.7 and 3.1 respectively. The average for all claims regardless of length has gone from 1.9 years to 2.5.
  5. The cost of care is steadily growing. I project the cost of a “country club” assisted living facility at 5% compound as only 10% of the 80 million baby boomers are in their care receiving years. So if the current cost is $5000 a month today, that’s $21,000 a month in 30 years. Yes believe it.
  6. The bottom fell out of interest rates as we all know back in 2008ish. When an insurance company prices for a 7% interest rate on reserves and gets 2-3%, you can imagine the impact!
  7. Yes, there were a few bad apples that intentionally priced policies too low, accepted people in poor health and paid out higher commissions than other companies. They did this to steal market share, but it backfired on them. I warned agents away from them in my 20 training years.

So when you hear the annual premium for a 55 year old female as follows…

  • $5,700 (single)
  • $4,848 (part of a couple)
  • $3,992 (both issued)

…you fall over with shock. But when I tell you these premiums are buying a plan that will be worth $1.5 MILLION in 30 years, payable at $21,000 a month for six years, now what do you think? Even the highest one of $5,700 x 30 years equals only $171,000, vs. $1,500,000 in benefits. Will there be rate increases? Maybe, but there’s a huge difference between $171K and $1.5M. That particular company can pay dividends in the older years, thus offsetting the need for a rate increase.

The Society of Actuaries just came out with research that shows policies issued 2014 and later have been priced correctly for all the bad stuff that has hit long-term care insurance. (FYI, those of you who have had much larger rate increases most likely bought before 2000.)

Some people maintain 5% compound inflation is too aggressive. This article just came out today.

New estimates released today from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and published online in Health Affairs project an average annual rate of national health spending growth of 5.5 percent for 2017–26, outpacing average projected growth in gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.0 percentage point.

LTC facility costs usually outpace overall health costs. Home care has been growing much slower but I’m seeing it start to pick up as more and more people need extended health care.

But What if I Never Need Care? 

Listen to me. Walk around your neighborhood and ask every single household if their house has ever burned to the ground. Not many yes answers, right? Now ask if they know someone who has needed help longer than three months with bathing and dressing or with a cognitive impairment. That’s long-term care. How many people can you think of in that situation?

Do you honestly think people sit around and worry that they haven’t gotten their money’s worth out of their homeowners or auto policies? Just how do you want to “get your money’s worth” out of your long-term care insurance? Do you want to have a brain tumor, get hit by a drunk driver, have a major stroke…or maybe suffer with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s for 10 years?

If you never need care, count your blessings!  It means you paid the annual premium for peace of mind.

I see so many families who are SAVED by long-term care insurance and it cuts me to the quick to read the bashing articles. Let’s reward the hand full of companies that have weathered the pricing storm and stayed in the market. Some offer both traditional and products combined with life insurance and/or annuities. If you don’t have a professional who is well-versed in the latest LTC planning options today, I would be honored to help you. Click here for my questionnaire that will get you a no-obligation consultation.

15 comments

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  1. I am trying to send this article to my Email so I can have it on file but it won’t let me do that even though it is one of the choices if I want to Share. Can you help me?

    1. Hi Cathie so sorry that button isn’t working! Just put this link into an email for anyone you want to share it with:

      https://gotltci.com/2018/02/its-time-to-stop-bashing-long-term-care-insurance/

    • LW on May 30, 2021 at 7:56 am
    • Reply

    I’ve been told by my mother’s LTC that there are generational polices attached to the policy that will pay for an assisted living facility when the policy only states nursing home and home care. What are they referring to when they say generational policy? They can not produce the policy to me showing the reduction from 100% for nursing care, to 80% for assisted living and continuation of the monthly payment. They also state there are additional generational policies but this policy has generation one added to it. What is your advise about this situation?
    Note- the policy was sold to a company that does not write LTC policies, but took the policy as part of the acquisition. I have requested a consultation with you in purchasing a LTC policy for me. I have managed both LTC policies for my dad and mother and I am very blessed that they both took out policies. I am widowed and a single mom while working full time and took care of both parents for as long as I could at home. These policies enabled my parents to be well cared for when I could not longer do it.

    1. Hi Laura – so glad you found me and congratulations on requesting a consultation for yourself! It is so wonderful to hear that both your parents had LTC insurance policies. It means that they really cared about making life easier for you when they needed care. I see that you have been assigned to my wonderful team member, Rhonda Bills. Please meet with her so she can help you get answers to your generational policies question. She will also design the best plan for you.

    • Keith Eaton on March 8, 2021 at 12:51 pm
    • Reply

    I have a LTCI policy from MM that has the option to request a Personal Care Advisor to assist in initial claim forms and continuing coordination of benefit claims and service recommendations, etc. The PCA is to be a non-employee independent RN skilled in this service from a professional firm that does this work for people. Is this a good idea to accept the service. The service is not required and is free. The cost is not deducted from policy limits.

    1. YES, YES, YES use the Personal Care Advisor benefit Keith. Most plans don’t cover that so it is a wonderful benefit!

    • Joe Newton on August 24, 2020 at 3:56 pm
    • Reply

    Hi. I am considering to buy a LTC insurance. I am 65. I should have done earlier but too late now. My question is how much insurance should I buy to cover me for 4 years in a LTC facility at a cost of $4,500 monthly.
    In other words, when you go to a LTC facility you don’t stay there for long. I don’t know if insurances companies arrange their policies according to my question above. Thanks in advance.

    1. Most LTC is not in a nursing home but assisted living facilities are becoming very popular. I’m assuming that is what you are talking about since you mention $4500 a month. FYI, men who need more than one year of care average 3.8 years. I don’t know your financial picture; i.e. how much you can add to the insurance, but a good solid plan would be $7500 a month with 3% compound inflation and a 3 or 4 year benefit period. Why $7500? Because a 3% compound is the most affordable inflation option but it takes 24 years for the benefits to double. You can buy either a facility only plan or one that covers home care as well. The best course of action however is to let us customize a plan that fits your budget. All you have to do is go to this link on my website and complete the short questionnaire. That puts you in our queue to get help! https://www.gotltci.com/contact-us/ While you are there, you will learn a lot by watching my 17-minute video on that page.

    • Earl wascom on July 17, 2020 at 6:31 pm
    • Reply

    Ltc ins policy 2001 18 yrs ago cost 159.00 a month with a 5 % compound rider! What was the appox cost for rider thanks. Bo

    1. That would have been on your original illustration Bo and you probably don’t have that. It might be on the Schedule of Benefits in the policy so look there for sure. Regardless of what it is, you made a brilliant decision to take the 5% compound inflation that doubles your benefits every 15 years! Also $159/month was and is a STEAL!

    • Denton Wascom on June 17, 2020 at 6:03 am
    • Reply

    Had otc policy since 2001- present..64 age now 83.. 19years.80 daily benefit 5% compound. Now 192 daily benefit..co now wants to reduce benefit 60%..pay 105 adm. Expense!!!!! Can the do that no notificon!!!! Thanks

    1. Call the insurance company and ask them to explain what they are trying to do.

    • Donna on August 4, 2019 at 3:44 pm
    • Reply

    Is there a policy that is both long term care and regular insurance if you do not need to use the LTC? I thought I read something but I cannot find it.

    1. Yes Donna, these are called combo policies or linked benefit policies. Some link LTC coverage to life insurance and others link it to annuities. Either way, there is a death benefit equal to or greater than the premium you put into it if you never need care. I’m happy to explain them to you if you reserve a time on my calendar here

      Please also take a few minutes to watch my 17 minute video on my calendar page and you will hear me talk about combo policies.

    • Kathy Andersen on February 20, 2018 at 6:09 am
    • Reply

    I bought 5% compounded unlimited Genworth policies for my son and I when he was 20, and I was 44. Twenty years later and only one increase, we know what we have is Golden! I’m in the middle of helping my significant other’s family provide care for him. He did not qualify for the LTC policy. What they are dealing with is a nightmare, a nightmare I knew could someday unfold for him. For twenty years I have told everyone I know how important it is to consider getting this kind of coverage. More important than paying for cell phone plans . . .

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