February
8, 2016
Update
Your Contracts
OR
Appoint
With All Of
The Top Carriers
The "Industry Best"
illustration software for Custom
& Secure Solution was recently updated to:
Version 3.34.0.0
Click
Here to download
Remember, EVERYONE attending any
of the webinars on our calendar will earn AT
LEAST
50 GoldenCare Reward
Points!*
PLUS... one lucky attendee of each webinar will earn 500
Points!
What Are GoldenCare Rewards?
* Limit 1 Reward Code Per Unique Training Event. Points Are
Subject To Change. Restrictions May Apply. Visit http://www.goldencarerewards.com/
For Details.
Current GoldenCare Promotions:
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★ 3-in-1 Promotion
(Mutual of Omaha LTCi)
Avoid Delays & Returned LTCi
Applications
Remember to use 6Q on the MutualCare
Solutions Producer Statement to avoid commission problems. If you have made
other arrangements to use another commission code, please use accordingly.
For questions, or to verify the
code you're using is correct, please call 800-842-7799!
REMINDER: Partnership Certification and 4-Hour Refresher
For all LTCi agents who took their initial 8-Hour Partnership Certification
prior to February
2014:
Producer requirements for training continuation states:
"A four-hour
refresher course must be completed every 2 years from the date the initial
training was completed."
Please be sure you have completed the necessary ongoing training before
submitting new long-term care business.
Click
Here for each state's training requirements.
If you have any questions, please call Licensing at 800-842-7799!
"Wealth-Protection
Insurance People Neglect," by Ivory Johnson, Wall Street Journal
"When you're in your 50s, it's easy to put off buying long-term-care
coverage because it isn't something you're likely to need right away. I
help clients combat this impulse by showing them what their retirement will
look like based on how we've planned it, and what would happen to that plan
if they had to pay for long-term care out-of-pocket for just three years.
You can do all of the saving in the world, but if you have to go into a
nursing home, all of a sudden you may have $6,000 in monthly expenses you
weren't expecting."
LTC Comment
(from Stephen A. Moses,
President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):
Thanks to Center Regional Rep Romeo Raabe for tipping us to this WSJ article.
Click
Here to read the full Wall
Street Journal article.
"Medicaid and
Long-Term Care Quiz," Kaiser Family Foundation
Medicaid and Long-Term Care Quiz: Medicaid, the nation’s major
publicly-financed health insurance program, plays an important role in the
delivery and financing of long-term care (LTC) services. These services
include a broad range of paid and unpaid medical and personal care
assistance. Long-term care is not medical in nature. Instead, it
provides help with regular daily activities to support independent living.
People may need LTC over a period of weeks, months, or years. How
much do you know about Medicaid and LTC?
Get
Started
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Online Agent
Training "Webinar" Presentations:
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For The Week Of February 8, 2016
Click on the subject heading to
learn more about the topic.
Click the date/time to register for the presentation.
At the time of the webinar,
remember to dial in to our conference line
(866-299-7945,
PIN / access code 8754#)
in order to listen to the audio part of the presentation.
Please check to see that you meet the minimum system
requirements and that you have the
equipment needed to
attend before downloading the latest version of GoToWebinar.
Click
Here for more information.
Click
Here for the Full Schedule of All Upcoming Webinars.
Or Click
Here to Access a List Of All Our Agent Training Services!
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Hold the Phone: February
Telephone Solicitation Bans
Please be aware of the holiday
telephone solicitation bans in the following states for the month of
February.
- On Tuesday,
February 9, 2016: Alabama and Louisiana prohibit
unsolicited marketing calls to residents in observance of Mardi Gras
- On Monday,
February 15, 2016: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Rhode Island and Utah prohibit unsolicited marketing calls to
residents in observance of President's Day
Click
Here got the entire notification.
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Important
Update to the Product and Underwriting Guide
The MutualCare Solutions Product
and Underwriting guide has been updated with clarified language on page 54
in the Reinstatement section.
The new form number for the
guide is 87316. Be sure to get your updated MutualCare
Solutions Product and Underwriting Guide today.
Upcoming
Rate Adjustments, Effective April 1, 2016
Mutual of Omaha will be
implementing rate adjustments in Alabama,
Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
and Wyoming.
Notification to all affected
policyholders will be mailed by February
1, 2016 to ensure policyholders in the approved states
receive notification of their April
1, 2016 premium rate increase.
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GTL's
Critical Care / Critical Cash is now available on the iPad/iPhone app!
GTL's new iPad/iPhone app, GTL
Mobile Agent Portal, is available for free on Apple's App store. This
sleek new app now works on your iPhone as well as your iPad. You can easily
get a quote and submit an application for Critical Cash all in one place.
Critical
Cash Bucket Calculator Is Now Available
GoldenCare USA is pleased to
announce a new way to quote the Critical Cash™ product available through
Guarantee Trust Life!
Present GTL's Critical Cash
policy with an easy-to-read, single-page illustration that includes the
Monthly Benefit Amounts chosen, the Maximum Lifetime Benefit, the specific
conditions covered, the period payable for each condition, as well as the
premium. Click the link above to download the excel file!
Recover
Cash - Great Protection for Your Clients!
GTL's Recover Cash is an
affordable short-term care nursing home care solution your clients may use
to protect their assets.
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Update:
Simplicity ii Rate Increase Action
As you are aware, MedAmerica is
currently in the process of raising rates on the Simplicity ii product
line. This rate action does not affect CareDirections Simplicity®. This
notice is to inform agents that they have received rate approval from Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland,
Mississippi & Oklahoma, and are implementing the rate
increase activity in these states. This is the only notification agents
will receive regarding this rate action.
For the ID,
LA & MS increase, MedAmerica will mail notification
of the rate increase to affected insureds on February 1, 2016.
For the MD
& OK increase, MedAmerica will mail notification of
the rate increase to affected insureds on February 5, 2016.
The new premium amount will be effective as of the insured's next billing
date, following the state required notification timeframe.
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Next
round of in-force rate action notifications to take place in late February
In late February, we will begin
policyholder notifications on the next round of John Hancock and Fortis
policies impacted by the in-force rate actions, which will have an
effective date beginning with anniversaries on or after May 1, 2016.
The 2013 rate action notifications
will include John Hancock LTCI individual policies originally issued in Colorado, Florida, Indiana,
Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee.
Also, we will continue the implementation of the 2013 rate increase
in Connecticut, North
Dakota and New
Jersey for policyholders who have received an initial
“capped” or "phased-in" increase. Fortis LTCI individual
policies originally issued in Nebraska
and Wisconsin
are also impacted.
The 2010 rate action will
include John Hancock LTCI policies originally issued in Florida, as we will
continue the implementation and begin notifications for additional
products. Finally, we will continue the implementation for Fortis
LTCI individual policies issued in Virginia,
as they are entering the third and final phase of the increase.
Correction
to Performance LTC Product Brochures
Certain non-compact versions of
the Performance LTC product brochure inadvertently include Waiver of Premium
in the Optional Benefits section.
The affected brochures are as
follows:
Consumer version;
LTC-5600
Employer version;
LTC-5614, as well as the FL and AZ version of
each.
The updated brochures are now
available to download on JHLTC.com, or can be viewed/printed by clicking on the
links above.
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Underwriting
Enhancements for Long Term Care Insurance
On January 19, 2016,
Genworth made underwriting enhancements by expanding the potential
insurability for clients with certain medical conditions. This change will
help improve your clients’ opportunity to qualify for long term care
insurance (LTCI) and may help increase your placement rates.
Upon review by their
underwriting team of emerging clinical data and claims experience, Genworth
has decided to expand the availability of long term care insurance for
applicants with certain medical conditions and impairments.
Click above for the entire
notification.
In-Force
Rate Action Announcement: Connecticut Partnership
In March 2015, Genworth
announced that they had received approval for premium rate increases in
Connecticut for certain non-partnership blocks of long term care insurance
policies.
They had previously received approval in Connecticut for rate increases for
partnership policies as indicated in the chart within the announcement,
however mailings had to be stopped until Genworth could update their
systems to reflect new options stemming from a regulation change for
Partnership policyholders. This resumes the previously announced increase
from March 2015.
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 February 2, 2016
and will continue throughout the next year. Impacted policyholders will be
notified at least 60-days in advance of their billing anniversary dates.
A
Message to Our Customers, Distributors and Partners
Today, Genworth shared some news
in our earnings
release about important changes we are making in our product portfolio.
We will be refocusing our sales efforts to develop solutions that meet the
financial challenges of aging, including individual and group long-term
care (LTC) insurance, and over time, the development of other products and
services that meet this growing need.
Genworth's strategic priorities
remain to improve the performance of our businesses and increase our
financial and strategic flexibility - while keeping our promises to
policyholders. To support these priorities, Genworth has decided to suspend
sales of all our traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products.
Genworth
Financial Announces Fourth Quarter 2015 Results
"Genworth Financial, Inc.
(NYSE: GNW) today reported results for the period ended December 31, 2015.
The company reported a net loss2 of $292 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, compared
with a net loss of $760 million, or $1.53 per diluted share, in the fourth
quarter of 2014. Net operating loss3 for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $82 million, or
$0.17 per diluted share, compared with a net operating loss of $415 million,
or $0.83 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2014. The net loss and
net operating loss in the quarter include net after-tax charges of $184
million, or $0.37 per diluted share, primarily driven by assumption updates
in universal life insurance. Additionally, the net loss includes an
after-tax loss of $134 million related to the pending sale of the European
mortgage insurance business and an additional after-tax loss of $73 million
related to the completed lifestyle protection insurance business sale.
"The company reported a net
loss of $615 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, in 2015, compared with a
net loss of $1,244 million, or $2.51 per diluted share, in 2014. The
company reported net operating income of $255 million, or $0.51 per diluted
share, in 2015, compared with a net operating loss of $398 million, or
$0.80 per diluted share, in 2014.
"We are pleased with the
continued strong performance of our mortgage insurance businesses,"
said Tom McInerney, President and CEO. "In our U.S. life insurance
businesses, we are actively pursuing multiple restructuring actions to
separate and isolate our LTC business and narrow our commercial focus,
including through the suspension of traditional life and fixed annuity
sales."
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LifeSecure
Electronic Agent Appointment Submissions
Reminder: As of February
1, all agent appointments must be submitted through LifeSecure's
new & e-appointment system.
For more information on our new
process, view our flier that will guide you through the steps of
requesting an appointment in our new system.
Brian
Vestergaard Named VP Of Sales & Marketing
LifeSecure recently named Brian Vestergaard
as vice president of Sales and Marketing. This is an expansion of his
previous position, in which he served as the company's vice president of
Product and Marketing.
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Medicare Supplement
News - Mutual of Omaha and Affiliates:
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