(Legacy) Rate Adjustments Effective January 1, 2018 – IL

Long-Term Care insurance (LTCi) is a core product for Mutual of Omaha and we intend to remain a key player in this market for years to come. In order to fulfill this commitment, we actively monitor emerging industry trends as well as our own experience so we can make the adjustments necessary that will allow us to keep our promises to policyholders and remain competitive in the marketplace. For this reason, we will be implementing the following rate adjustments effective January 1, 2018: Block of Business Impacted States NHA, LTA, HCA, LT50 & NH50 Illinois     For a complete
Read More

Categories: Industry News, Long-Term Care, and Mutual of Omaha (& Affiliates).

Medicare Supplement News – Omaha Family of Companies

Modernized Rate Release Please review the upcoming rate adjustment in CO and VT, effective November 1, 2017 for new and in-force 2010 Modernized Medicare supplement. Maneuvering through Annual Open Enrollment Mutual of Omaha can help you maneuver through the Annual Open Enrollment Period. Check out all the valuable information in our 2017 AEP Guide including:    • Underwriting – service and speed    • Plans and benefits that can save your clients money    • Submitting business and required documentation    • Marketing support, and    • Complementary products for your Medicare clients During this busy time of year we are here to help. Thank
Read More

Categories: Industry News, Medicare Supp./Adv., and Mutual of Omaha (& Affiliates).

Long Term Care Update: Connecticut Rate Change

October 17, 2017 Transamerica Life Insurance Company remains committed to you and to the long term care insurance market. As such, it’s important that we modify our premium rates for new TransCare® II business to reflect actual claims experience by policyholders. These rate changes will also maintain consistency in our pricing across our product portfolio which will allow Transamerica Life Insurance Company to remain highly competitive within the marketplace. These refreshed rates are exclusively for new sales of TransCare II in the state of Connecticut and will become effective 7 a.m. CT October 31, 2017.   Transition Deadlines To receive
Read More

Categories: Industry News, Long-Term Care, and Transamerica.

“Potentially Preventable Medicare Spending High in Frail Elderly”

“Potentially Preventable Medicare Spending High in Frail Elderly,” by Diana Phillips, Medscape “In an analysis of Medicare beneficiaries in the top 10% of individual spending in 2012, adults aged 65 years or older with two or more conditions, which is considered to indicate frailty, accounted for nearly 44% of spending deemed potentially preventable despite making up only 4% of the population sample, researchers found. Jose F. Figueroa, MD, MPH, from the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues report
Read More

Categories: Industry News and Long-Term Care.

“11 more states working on wage increases for direct care workforce”

“11 more states working on wage increases for direct care workforce,” by Emily Mongan, McKnight’s LTC News “The Kaiser Family Foundation’s 50-state Medicaid budget survey for fiscal years 2017 and 2018, released Thursday, listed shortages and turnover among the long-term services and supports workforce as an issue to watch in coming years. The report cited low wages, meager benefits, limited opportunities for advancement, insufficient training and high injury rates as reasons why workers may be leaving or avoiding the sector.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): This problem is endemic to a long-term care
Read More

Categories: Industry News and Long-Term Care.

“LTCA to Washington: Most Agree on These LTC Financing Reforms”

“LTCA to Washington: Most Agree on These LTC Financing Reforms,” by Stephen D. Forman, PR/Web “Long Term Care Associates, Inc. (‘LTCA’), accompanied by representatives from the nation’s leading long-term care insurance carriers, traveled to Washington, DC this October to deliver a report addressing our country’s pressing LTC financing crisis. In the report, LTCA finds common ground among competing solutions, and advocates for those which will appeal to a broad cross-section of Americans.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Congratulations to Center-corporate-member LTCA for taking a proactive stance toward the real problem facing long-term care
Read More

Categories: Industry News and Long-Term Care.

In-Force Rate Action Announcement: Ohio (Privileged Choice® and Classic Select®)

As part of the strategy for our long-term care insurance business, we continue pursuing initiatives to improve the risk and profitability profile of our business, including premium increases on our in-force policies, as needed. Ohio has now allowed the following increase: Ohio Product Series Increase Percentage Privileged Choice 15% Classic Select 15%     This rate increase applies to both AARP and Non-AARP policies. Communications Timeline Servicing agents will receive a list of their impacted policyholders in this state prior to the start of policyholder notifications. Agent notifications begin October 17, 2017. Policyholder notifications will begin December 4, 2017 and
Read More

Categories: Genworth, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

A Unique Health & Wellness Program For Your MedSupp Clients

 Offer an Award-Winning Health & Wellness Hub  to Your Medicare Clients! Medicare Supplements do not include health & wellness programs. Offer those Medicare clients complementary access to CareOptions! This program does more than any gym membership can. CareOptions is an award-winning platform that offers countless, valuable healthcare and wellness resources, interactive health assessment tools, unbiased information on the health and wellness topics that matter to your clients, and so much more!   Join special guest speaker Bob Pearson, CEO of NavGate Technologies, as he highlights all of the recent milestones and provides a live demonstration to show how advantageous CareOptions
Read More

Categories: GoldenCare News and Medicare Supp./Adv..

“The Nation’s Retirement System: A Comprehensive Re-evaluation Is Needed”

“The Nation’s Retirement System: A Comprehensive Re-evaluation Is Needed,” Government Accountability Office (GAO) “The U.S. retirement system, and the workers and retirees it was designed to help, face major challenges. Traditional pensions have become much less common, and individuals are increasingly responsible for planning and managing their own retirement savings accounts, such as 401(k) plans. Yet research shows that many households are ill-equipped for this task and have little or no retirement savings. In this special report, GAO examines these challenges, drawing from prior work and others’ research, as well as insights from a panel of retirement experts on how
Read More

Categories: Industry News and Long-Term Care.

“MIT: Assisted Living Innovation and Design to Flourish as U.S. Ages”

“MIT: Assisted Living Innovation and Design to Flourish as U.S. Ages,” by Tim Regan, Senior Housing News “As the number of seniors who need senior living services grows, assisted living providers will likely move away from operating smaller, stand-alone locations and instead choose to operate larger, more complex and cost-effective buildings, according to Albert Saiz, director of the MIT Center for Real Estate. . . . One possible trend the researchers identified is the rise of suburban ‘civic centers,’ which are clusters of public spaces, schools, retail, multifamily units and mixed-use buildings where the young and old co-exist.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
Read More

Categories: Industry News and Long-Term Care.