Description: A review of the e-book, "Universal Coverage of Long-Term Care in the United States: Can We Get There from Here?"

Description: The "Think Tank on Steroids" group at the DI and LTC Insurers’ Forum brainstormed about what the United States should do in order to deal with the impending Long-Term Care problem in the United States. The group’s ideal plan for dealing with Long Term Care can be thought of as a three-legged stool. The legs are private savings and assets (including tax-advantaged LTC savings accounts), Long-Term Care Insurance (including smaller, more affordable products), and support from the family. The Medicaid system ought to be reformed so that it is only available to people who have exhausted all other options. The ongoing Think Tank will continue this conversation and publish a white paper detailing the Think Tank’s solution to the problem.

Description: To penetrate the market of those who today are concerned about future long-term care needs, LTCI providers will need to combine strategies for financial sustainability with the consumer- driven product design focus of the early to mid-1990s.

Description: This article discusses the details of being classified as cognitively impaired, particularly the relationship between being classified as cognitively impaired and subsequent mortality experience and the effect of cognitive impairment on mortality rates.

Description: The last decade or more has proven that premium rate increases are necessary to maintain the integrity of most blocks of LTCi policies. Along with those rate increases, carriers have offered and regulators have approved an evolving menu of rate increase mitigation options for policyholders that do not wish to pay the increased rate. Recently, carriers and regulators have become more and more innovative in the rate increase mitigation options that they have presented to regulators. This article will discuss both the common and creative options that carriers are offering their insureds in the event of rate increases, including policy buys out, adjustments to coverage levels, and enhanced non-forfeiture options.

Description: This article reviews the data and methodology used to arrive at this seemingly incredible rate, compares the Li/Jensen results with those of recent industry studies, and suggests areas for further study for both LTCI actuaries and the authors.

Description: Proposes setting premiums such that inflation and age could change the premium over time, rather than prefunding. The value may be to change the approach to pricing LTC and improve the risk.

Description: The goals of the first Annual LTC Operations and Technology Benchmark Survey were to develop time and cost benchmarks for LTC operations, identify the most pressing operations and technology issues, and gain insight into the technologies that are being used to administer long-term care business.

Description: A wrap-up of the 2012 LIMRA, LOMA and the Society of Actuaries jointly-sponsored the DI & LTC Insurers’ Forum at Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas.

Description: This is an article about a survey sent to Long-Term Care section members and the survey results.