“One hour a week of physical activity can hold off disability, study says”, by Brett Molina, USA Today “Older adults with pain in their hips or legs can ward off disability by performing physical activity for as little as one hour a week, according to a study published Monday. The study from researchers at Northwestern Medicine found that less than 10 minutes a day of moderate physical activity was enough to help older adults avoid limitations to their movement.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): And an apple a day will keep the doctor
Read More

“Another Shock To The Long-Term Care Insurance Industry”, by Howard Gleckman, Forbes “Last week, I attended the industry’s annual conference in Chicago. Many programs focused on finding better ways to measure risk and others were about dementia—the single biggest uncertainty for both carriers and consumers. Roughly half of all long-term care insurance claims come from policyholders with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Other sessions discussed public options for long-term care coverage, such as pending legislation in Washington State to create a social insurance benefit of $36,500. Many insurance executives who had long criticized public programs such as Washington’s, now see it as an
Read More

“Reverse Mortgage: Types and Examples”, by Eric Reed, The Street “There are two ways to look at a reverse mortgage. First: Only get a reverse mortgage if you absolutely have to. Doing so will encumber a home you should own outright, limiting your ability to move or pass the home on to your family. Second: A reverse mortgage lets you use your home as a semi-liquid investment property. For a fee you can access the cash value of your house without having to sell it, allowing you to both tap it as a financial resource and still live there. Here’s what
Read More

“5 Medicare Advantage Sample Size LTC Benefits Reactions”, by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “Medicare Advantage program managers abruptly encouraged insurers to jam a few non-medical ‘supplemental benefits’ into their benefits packages for 2019. Some insurers added the kinds of benefits that might be covered by a short-term care insurance or long-term care insurance (LTCI) policy, such as adult day care services, homemaker services, and support for caregivers. Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) recently put more fleshed-out rules for ‘chronic care’ benefits in a draft version of a bidding document for the 2020 Medicare Advantage program. Insurance company
Read More

“Transamerica Announces Agreement With LTCG for Administration of Long Term Care Insurance,” Transamerica “LTCG will provide comprehensive third party administration services for Transamerica’s long term care insurance product line including new business, policyholder service, claims processing and care management. … ‘LTCG is fully committed to the long term care insurance industry, and continues to invest in the technology, people, and innovations in the wellness programs and provider solutions needed to demonstrate this dedication to insurers and their policyholders,’ said Peter Goldstein, CEO of LTCG. ‘We’re honored to serve Transamerica customers who are protecting their future through these long term care insurance
Read More

“NAIFA Launches Long-Term Care Planning Center,” by Allison Bell, Think Advisor “The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors is introducing a new long-term care (LTC) planning program today, in Chicago, at the Intercompany Long Term Care Insurance Conference. The new NAIFA Limited & Extended Care Planning Center will offer professional designation programs and other resources for insurance agents and financial advisors, NAIFA said in a center launch announcement. Carroll Golden will serve as the LECP Center’s first executive director. Golden has worked as an LTCI executive at LifeSecure Insurance Company and at Transamerica.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses,
Read More