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: The Congressional Budget Office reports that out-of-pocket expenses accounted for 19 percent of the total long-term care LTC expenses in the United States in 2006, and private LTC insurance accounted for only 8 percent of these expenses, which shows that Americans are underinsured for LTC expenses. While it is true that public programs like Medicaid and Medicare cover much of the nation’s LTC expenses 68 percent of the total LTC expenses in the United States in 2006, eligibility for these programs comes at a great cost to the individual.

Description: This article discusses the pending Pension Protection Act and the opportunity it presents for products that combine LTC and Annuities.

Description: The current design of group Long-Term Care LTC products does not optimally serve employers and employees, which is limiting growth in the employer market. Current employer LTC products fail to deliver in one very important way: too few employees participate in the coverage.