Genworth Reports Softness In The LTC Market

But Genworth says caution about variable annuity product guarantees, such as guaranteed minimum income benefits, contributed to a 56% drop in annualized VA sales, to $277 million.

Similarly, Genworth says a 2003 long term care insurance price increase implemented to drive sales to the companys "risk sweet spot" hurt LTC unit performance: Annualized new LTC insurance sales fell 34%, to $39 million.

"We stand by our new pricing structure as it achieves the right balance of [return on equity], prudent risk management and growth," Rick McKenney, Genworths chief financial officer, said during the companys earnings conference.

After adjusting for the effect of accounting changes, net operating earnings at the Genworth unit that sells LTC insurance and Medicare supplement insurance were up 13%, Genworth says.

But McKenney said Genworth is "strongly addressing" LTC insurance sales as well as sales of term life insurance and variable annuities. McKenney described 11 other products as either selling well or selling about as well as Genworth expects.

In the LTC insurance market, "were seeing slow sales across the industry," McKenney said.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, July 16, 2004. Copyright 2004 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.