““Medicaid Managed Care: Improvements Needed to Better Oversee Payment Risks”

“Medicaid Managed Care: Improvements Needed to Better Oversee Payment Risks,” Government Accountability Office “Almost half—$171 billion—of Medicaid spending in 2017 went to managed care organizations (MCO). In Medicaid managed care, states pay a set periodic amount to MCOs for each enrollee, and MCOs pay health care providers for the services delivered to enrollees. Used effectively, managed care can help states reduce Medicaid costs. However, managed care still is at risk of making incorrect payments, such as duplicate payments or payments for ineligible patients. We identified 6 types of payment risks: 4 related to state payments to MCOs, and 2 related
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Categories: Clippings, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

“What the World’s Biggest Asset Manager Recommends to Boost Retirement Savings”

“What the World’s Biggest Asset Manager Recommends to Boost Retirement Savings,” by Bernice Napach, ThinkAdvisor “BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, wants the federal government to make it easier for employees to participate in defined contribution retirement plans and for employers to offer those plans. In both cases many don’t. According to the latest available stats from the Labor Department (from March 2017), 59% of U.S. employees have access to DC plans but only 40% participate in those plans. … BlackRock offers multiple recommendations to help increase the availability of DC funds and participation by employees — ‘bipartisan ideas that
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Categories: Clippings, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

“What Are Senior Citizens’ Biggest Financial Regrets From Their Twenties?”

“What Are Senior Citizens’ Biggest Financial Regrets From Their Twenties?,” by Mike Brown, LendEDU “In our latest survey of 1,000 senior citizens, LendEDU sought to uncover how older Americans are faring financially and if they made the right decisions throughout life to live comfortably in their later years. … Here were a few key takeaways from the study: 55% of senior citizens said they have not saved enough for retirement, 18% were not sure if they had enough saved, and 27% felt as if they did 21% of older Americans, the plurality, indicated that their biggest financial regret from their twenties
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Categories: Clippings, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

Genworth’s 2018 Commission Pay Schedule

Genworth is changing the timing of the end of year paydown. October 5, 2018 will be the payout for commission payments that have not previously met the minimum payment requirement. Genworth will process all commissions due on October 5, 2018. The $50 minimum payment requirement will resume after October 5, 2018 and will continue through the next commission pay down in 2019. Therefore, there will not be an “end of year” pay down as in previous years. All commission payments, for all products, will be distributed on October 8, 2018. Genworth will resume normal commission payments that have met the
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Categories: Genworth, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

In-Force Rate Action Announcement: Connecticut (PCS I, PCS II)

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. Connecticut has now allowed the following increases: Connecticut Product Series Increase Percentage for Policies with Limited Benefit Periods Increase Percentage for Policies with Lifetime Benefit Periods PCS I 48.2% phased 14%, 14%, 14% cumulative 48.2% phased 14%, 14%, 14% cumulative PCS II 30.6% phased 9.3%, 9.3%, 9.3% cumulative 30.6% phased 9.3%, 9.3%, 9.3% cumulative       This rate increase applies to Partnership and Non-AARP policies.
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Categories: Genworth, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

EssentialLTC Partnership Policy Available In 7 Additional States July 27

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce that effective July 27, 2018, the EssentialLTC policy will now be available as a partnership policy in the following seven states: Iowa New Hampshire Rhode Islanda Wisconsin Kansas Oklahoma Texas Applications submitted in these states which are dated July 27, 2018 and after require additional application forms. The new application forms for each state will be available via the Agent Resource Center on July 27, 2018. The additional forms must be utilized for all applications received August 6th, 2018 and after. Determination of Partnership Eligibility EssentialLTC policies issued in one
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Categories: Industry News, Long-Term Care, and National Guardian Life.

EssentialLTC Partnership Exchange Mailings in 7 States

With the recent approval of the Partnership policy in seven states, we are happy to announce that the exchange of eligible National Guardian Life EssentialLTC policies is scheduled to occur in the following seven states: Georgia Michigan South Carolina West Virginia Idaho Minnesota Washington Exchanges of eligible EssentialLTC policies in these states is scheduled to be completed by July 30, 2018.   Eligibility for Exchange to a Partnership policy To be considered as eligible for an exchange to a partnership policy, the inforce EssentialLTC Long Term Care policy would need to meet all of the following LTC Partnership eligibility requirements.
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Categories: Industry News, Long-Term Care, and National Guardian Life.

United Security Assurance – Producers’ Testimonials

Producers’ Testimonials We love hearing from our producers. Building long-standing relationships with our valued producers is the driving force behind everything we do. We go out of our way to see that each and every producer we work with is satisfied with the services our in-house staff provides. Here are a few examples of what some of our producers had to say about our expertise and their experiences with United Security Assurance. Vance M. “Since 1962, I have been an insurance salesman, and have represented a lot of companies in that time. About 27 years ago, I was introduced to
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Categories: Industry News and Long-Term Care.

In-Force Rate Action Announcement: Missouri (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. Missouri has now allowed the following increases: Missouri Product Series Increase Percentage Privileged Choice 39.25% phased 25%, 11.4% cumulative Classic Select 39.25% phased 25%, 11.4% cumulative     This rate increase applies to Non-AARP policies only. Communications Timeline Servicing agents will receive a list of their impacted policyholders in this state one week prior to the start of policyholder notifications. Policyholder notifications will begin July 31,
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Categories: Genworth, Industry News, and Long-Term Care.

In-Force Rate Action Announcement: Alaska (Choice 1)

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. Alaska has now allowed the following increase: Alaska Product Series Increase Percentage for Policies with Limited Benefit Periods Increase Percentage for Policies with Lifetime Benefit Periods Choice 1 55% 72%       This rate increase applies to Non-AARP policies only. Communications Timeline Servicing agents will receive a list of their impacted policyholders in this state one week prior to the start of policyholder notifications. Policyholder
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Categories: Genworth and Long-Term Care.