After reviewing planning strategies for hybrid or linked benefit LTC plans, this week we are comparing shared and individual traditional or stand-alone LTC plans. Yes, there have been rate increases on these plans, but over the last 20 years or so, traditional LTC plans have gotten much healthier. Listen and learn how. When funding using income or on a budget, these plans can help families afford to get through an extended care need without bankrupting their loved ones. It's easy to see that there are several ways to design and fund your long term care plan. Schedule some time to start preparing for your tomorrow here Learn what your state Medicaid program lets you keep to qualify for state Medicaid benefits (not recommended by us) here View both current and projected costs of care here

Anna & Marty compare shared hybrid life/LTC plans with separate LTC plans for each of them. It's a matter of preference and goals. The LTC and death benefit are directly related, so plans with higher LTC benefits have larger death benefits. The death benefit acts as a return of premium if care isn't needed. The key differences in shared and individual plans is who can use the LTC benefits and for how long, who can be beneficiary, and when does the death benefit pay? Listen and learn how these plans differ and what Anna and Marty decided. Schedule an initial free consultation here View current and projected costs of care where you live here Learn what your state's Medicaid system lets us keep and receive care here Estimate rates for 6 year plans with 3% inflation growth here Many don't want a full 6 year benefit period, so please understand that smaller plans have lower rates.

This week, Jen asked if she and her husband can own a long term care plan together and share the benefits with each other. She asked what happens if one person uses all the benefits. And what happens if neither of them need extended care services. She wants to know if it would be better to have two separate plans or share one and can they be each other's beneficiary. She also asked if this is the same as LTC Partnership. Listen and then schedule with me to design a plan to protect your loved ones if you need extended care at home, in assisted living, in memory care or elsewhere schedule here See current and projected costs of carfe where you live here Learn what your state Medicaid program lets you keep and qualify for government funded care here

This week, we need to pay attention that LTC is not just a women's issue. It used to be more focused on women because we live longer and are more likely to live alone when help is needed. Today, with so many divorces, we have a lot of single men who will also be living alone when help is needed. But men are the providers for their kids and familiues. There is no time to consider that you won't be providing. LTC insurance helps you continue to provide for and protect your kids, even if you can no longer provide for yourself. It's hard to think and talk about this today, but without a plan, it will be more difficult and costly to your kids later. Watch this 3 minute tear jerking video of a son showering and shaving his dad video When we have help helping our parents, it doesn't mean we don't love them as much. It means they loved us enough to prepare for this day and not overwhelm us. View current and projected costs of care where you live here Learn what your state's Medicaid program lets you keep to qualify for state benefits here And then schedule a phone or zoom meeting with me to design your LTC plan here

This week, Diane shares what she learned while attending the 2025 Genworth LTC Symposium "Sustainable Solutions: The Future of Long Term Care Financing". We all agree on the problem and wonder how long it will take for all parties (public & private) to agree on a solution. The links below provide info on who is supporting the Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home (WISH) Act. Please reach out to your Congressmen/women and ask then to support this Act as it will help our most vulnerable population while fostering a more vibrant and affordable LTC insurance solution. Schedule with me to start planning here WISH Act summary and links to full bill text here National Council on Aging https://www.ncoa.org/ American Geriatric Society https://www.americangeriatrics.org/ American Academy of Physicians https://www.aapa.org/ American College of Physicians https://www.acponline.org/ National Alliance for Caregiving https://www.caregiving.org/

Government is talking about cutting Medicare and Medicaid funding while costs of care are increasing. Dementia used to be considered a mental defect, and people were hidden from the rest of society and not talked about publicly Today, we know tis is a disease that needs to be managed. We also know that younger people are developing memory concerns. The plus is that we're not afraid to talk about it anymore. The negative is that we're delaying the needed planning until it's too late to design meaningful planning strategies. Here are links to the resources I discuss in this episode. Alzheimer's Disease International shares different forms of dementia here Mayo Clinic dementia info here National Institutes of Health here McKnight's Senior Living on budget cuts here View current and projected costs of care where you live here Learn what your state's Medicaid system let's you keep here Schedule a free consultation with me here

This week, I interviewed Mike Simenstad, an LTC veteran with 34 years of experience working for several LTC carriers and distributors. He currently works for National Guardian Life (NGL), a traditonal LTC company across the United States. Mike, and others in his role help me and other LTC specialists to be able to work smarter for our clients. We all work together as a team to find the best solution for each family. Mike answers questions about tools/resources consumers use to research and why that can get confusing. We discuss actions people are taking today to plan, and we discuss how the traditional LTC industry has evolved and gotten much healthier over the last 50 years. Learn costs of care where you live here Estimate LTC premiums for plans with a 6 year benefit period and 3% compounding inflation here When we talk we will decide if larger or smaller plans will meet your needs better, but this a good start. Learn what you state's Medicaid program will currently let you keep and access the state Medicaid sysytem for care here Schedule a phone or Zoom meeting with me here

We often hear from sons and daughters who want to buy LTC coveeage for a parent. This could be to preserve a family home, to avoid Medicaid, or because they watched their parents care for their own parents for several years. They don't want to go through that again. This works if the parent is still healthy enough to be approved by an insurance company. Different kinds of planning strategies are offered by different companies up to various age limits, and health questions differ as well. We can be pretty certain that Medicaid will be less accomodating in the future. Learn more about that with resources from The Center For LTC Reform View current and projected costs of care where you live here Estimate premiums for 6 year LTC plans here Learn what your state Medicaid program lets you keep today here Schedule a meeting to learn more here

This week is about tax deductions and tax savings with LTC insurance. Individuals and business owners often overlook the tax advantages that a long term care insurance plan offers. Listen and learn who can use what kind of tax planning when funding their LTC plan. Disclosure: I am not an accountant or tax advisor. I'm simply sharing what tax saving strategiesa are available. Consult your CPA or tax advisor for specifics to your situation. Note: I mention non-forfeiture benefits on traditional LTC plans. This rider lets a policyholder cancel their plan any time after three years AND RETAIN BENEFITS EQUAL TO PREMIUMS ALREADY PAID. I left this last part out in the recording. Estimate LTC insurance rates for 6 year plans with 3% inflation growth here See what Medicad let's us keep in different states currently here View median costs of care in various settings where you live here Schedule a phone or Zoom meeting here

This week, I'm hearing that people want to plan for potential LTC needs, but they are afraid to do that today because of our uncertain economy and stock market fluctuations. It's more important than ever to own our own plan today. Federal programs are being gutted, and Medicare and Medicaid are the two biggest expenses on the federal budget. Medicaid is not going to do more in the future. People who thought thay had enough savings to self fund care are seeing today that that should not be a lone solution. Those who are drawing from retirement accounts today to pay for care will have no opportunity for a rebound. That money is GONE! There aren't enough professional caregivers today to keep up with demand. We need to be our own advocates and plan for future care needs. We're going to get through this, and many of us will continue to live a long life. When we live a long life, we get old. And when we get old, we need help living. It's much easier to get help when we plan ahead. Schedule with me today here