Take care of your clients

October 31, 2012 at 08:00 PM
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Avoiding unplanned financial loss upon entering the golden years oftentimes becomes a more daunting task than our clients imagine. While life insurance policies are extremely vital in protecting our clients and their beneficiaries, these benefits are unlikely to provide assistance if our clients are unaware of the danger of living without long-term care (LTC) protection.

Many times, those approaching or entering the retirement period sleep with one eye open—watching the stock market and listening to the stories about the budget woes—to ensure their finances remain in order. In reality, this is a miniscule problem in comparison to other factors that could cause financial detriment and derail a well-thought-out retirement plan.

One of those factors is a major long-term care event. Conveying the high expense of assisted-living communities and nursing home care to our clients is the first step we must take. In a study by Genworth Financial, the cost of assisted-living facilities is noted to be upward of $4,000 per month, with nursing homes coming in at an average of $8,500 per month. Many of our clients are under the impression Medicare will cover these expenses; however, it will not cover a patient's entire stay. Normally, Medicare will only cover the first 100 days. 

A sound solution

Long-term care partnerships can be a sound solution for our clients in the middle market. These partnerships consist of a relationship between the state and your client in which they can invest a certain amount in a long-term care coverage plan (amounts may differ by state). If the level they contribute meets the state minimum amount and your client exhausts those benefits during a long-term care incident, your client can switch to the state's Medicaid plan.

For example, if your client has a $400,000 long-term care plan through the state, and they exhaust this budget, they can come on to the state Medicaid plan with no penalty. Your client would also have $400,000 in assets that the state cannot seize, freeing them from potentially breaking into other savings or investments or selling their estate to pay for their health-care expenses.

Avoid a crisis

Long-term care partnerships are a great way to protect investments, such as life insurance. It also benefits your clients who hope to pass on assets to their children or other loved ones. Avoiding an unplanned and uncovered long-term care event is crucial to your clients' financial peace of mind. By using resources like these partnerships, we can help our clients avoid a financial crisis and keep their retirement plan on track.

Philip E. Harriman, CLU, CHCF, 2007 MDRT President, is a partner with Lebel and Harriman, LLP.
Responses and questions can be sent to [email protected].

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