Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Know the Difference: Long-Term Care vs. Chronic Illness Riders

Not all riders on life insurance policies are the same. Long-term care (LTC) riders and chronic illness riders may seem alike, but when it comes to filing a claim, there are crucial differences to consider.

Making sure your clients are covered with a true LTC rider will give them the flexibility to protect against both temporary and permanent claims, and it’ll save you from having a very difficult conversation at claim time. Nationwide offers a true LTC rider that:

• Pays temporary as well as permanent LTC claims
• Tells you at policy issue what the LTC benefit will be
• Accelerates 100% of the death benefit regardless of when a claim begins

Know the difference BEFORE your client buys coverage!

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Using Life Insurance to Pay for Long-Term Care


Opinions differ on whether an Acceleration Rider on a life insurance policy is an adequate substitute for a separate LTCI policy or not. The answer depends, in part, on the size of a life insurance policy, the money received while the policy is in-force to pay long-term care costs, and how much long-term care is expected to cost at the time it's needed.

66% of Americans surveyed say long-term
care planning is important, but only 20%
have discussed the topic with an advisor 
If you do the math, you'll discover that an LTC Rider on a life insurance policy won't cover all of  the possible long-term care expenses. In fact, it may give a false sense of security that all needs would be met. And keep in mind that long-term care benefits received will reduce a policy's death benefit, possibly leaving little or nothing for beneficiaries.

However, the premiums on a stand-alone LTCI policy can be very costly, depending on current age, health, and the benefits offered. If these costs make such a policy too expensive, an LTC Rider on a life insurance policy may be a reasonable middle-ground solution. An LTC Rider can allow for tapping into the funds in the future, should the need for long-term care arise. 

For help in assessing your clients' personal situation, consider these Agent Resources.