What Can NAHU Do for YOU as a Long-Term Care Insurance Producer?

NAHU works hard in Washington and in states across the country to help you stay in business. Our goal is to generate federal and state action that will stimulate further development of the long-term care market.

Federal and Policy Involvement

• NAHU was a leading proponent for expansion of long-term care partnership programs to all states.
• We work with like-minded organizations through coalitions to achieve our common goals.
• NAHU serves on the board of the coalition, Americans for Long-Term Care Security where we have been a member for a number of years.
• NAHU provides input to congressional committees, members of Congress and their staffs and responds to questions regarding LTC legislation such as the use of tax incentives for the purchase of LTC, the expansion of LTC partnership programs and the use of LTC insurance under IRS Section 125 cafeteria plans and Flexible Spending Accounts.
• NAHU has held briefings for both House and Senate and has testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging in support of LTC partnership programs.
• NAHU members have sent thousands of letters to members of Congress on LTC issues using our action alert program.
• NAHU Executive Vice President and CEO Janet Trautwein is a member of the White House Conference on Aging.

State Involvement

• NAHU has testified several times at the National Conference of Insurance Legislators' and have been a member of the faculty at a number of ALEC educational academies for state legislators to develop a Long-Term Care Partnership Model Act.
• NAHU worked with industry leader and NAIC regulators to create agent training requirements for new partnership products.
• NAHU is an active participant in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' quarterly meetings and regularly monitors LTC issues through the NAIC Senior Issues Task Force.
• NAHU was appointed to the NAIC Statutory Working Group on Medigap that was required by the Medicare Modernization Act to work on changes to the Medigap program.

Educational Opportunities

• NAHU provides discounts on a number of educational materials such as those offered by National Underwriter.
• NAHU seeks out educational opportunities for its members in a variety of settings, including special discounts on conferences like the Long-term Care Insurance Producers Summit and the 6th Annual Intercompany LTCi Conference.
• NAHU regularly conducts web seminars that are very popular with NAHU members across the country. Most recently they included:
• Strategies for Health Risk Planning Through Retirement, Presented by: Sally Leimbach This webinar focused on advanced financial planning for long-term care expenses.
• LTC Partnerships, Presented by: Jeff Sadler
• This webinar introduced the LTC Partnership concept, its origins and why they are being expanded at a perfect time as the country begins experiencing aging in significant demographic numbers.
• NAHU and America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) have developed an educational program for agents to sell the new LTCi partnership and are coordinating with carriers, brokers and general agents throughout the country.

Long-Term Care Partnership PR Campaign - Protect Your Health & Your Future

NAHU has been one of the key players that lobbied for and ultimately helped pass the Deficit Reduction Act that contained a provision for long-term care partnerships. Partnerships offer consumers an alternative to “spending down” their entire life savings by forming a partnership between Medicaid and long-term care insurers. Consumers who purchase these policies are insured for LTC expenses for a predetermined level of benefit through a private plan and if those benefits are exhausted and the individual still requires services then Medicaid would be available without having to spend down your assets.

NAHU is conducting a national long-term care partnership PR campaign – “Protect Your Health & Your Future” to inform consumers about this new long-term care health insurance policy. The new campaign has the news worthiness to be a good media draw, attract new LTC members as well as educate the public and others about the importance of having long-term care insurance.

LTC Designations: Discounts for NAHU members

To help NAHU members improve their professional skills, NAHU has arranged for discounts through several highly respected designation programs.

The Long Term Care Professional (LTCP) designation program is an exciting option for industry professionals who want to learn about rising long-term care needs and the role of insurance in providing for these needs. Upon completion of the program, students will be well-versed in the methods of financing long-term care needs, the long-term care insurance product, and issues surrounding claims and administration. (from AHIP website)

The Corporation for Long Term Care Certification (CLTC) program was begun in 1999 and to date has produced more than 8,000 graduates. The two-day Master Class format is broken down into eight multi-disciplinary sections.

Society for Certified Senior Advisors (CSA) is an educational organization that provides in-depth training on senior issues to professionals who work with seniors. The Society of Certified Senior Advisors was founded in 1996 by a group of forward-thinking gerontologists, elder law attorneys, CPAs, financial planners and other qualified professionals.

Essential Tools from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners

A Shopper's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance is required to be given to clients in many states at the point of sale.

Important Information from America's Health Insurance Plans

Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance - What is long-term care? Insurance is an important tool for protecting yourself against risk. For instance, health insurance pays your doctor and hospital bills if you get sick or injured. But how can you protect yourself against the significant financial risk posed by the potential need for longterm care services, either in a nursing home or in your own home? Long-term care goes beyond medical care and nursing care to include all the assistance you could need if you ever have a chronic illness or disability that leaves you unable to care for yourself for an extended period of time. You can receive long-term care in a nursing home, assisted-living facility, or in your own home. Though older people use the most long-term care services, a young or middle-aged person who has been in an accident or suffered a debilitating illness can also need long-term care.

Who buys long-term care insurance? - A 15 year look at who buys long term care insurance.

An Employer's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance - Long-term care - it may well be the nation’s greatest uninsured need. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans describes “a potentially… serious long-term care crisis in the United States.” One reason for the concern is that Americans are getting older. The U.S. Census Bureau expects today's 65 or older population to double to about 70 million in 2030, and the 85 and older population to nearly double to about 8.5 million. An aging population means greater health care needs, particularly for long-term care services.

Resources from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

www.Medicare.gov - A wealth of information is available on their site about a number of different aspects of the Medicare program, including information about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Medicare's Nursing Home Comparison Guide – This guide is of particular interest to those trying to gauge what types of care may be available in a given area. We strongly encourage this brochure available through our website and the CMS website. You can compare nursing home quality by geographic region, nursing home name or Zip code – an extremely valuable tool.

The Long-Term Care Consumer Awareness Campaign Project - is jointly funded by CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Promotion by the federal government of private long-term care insurance has been a big market stimulator in campaign states. Information on this project can also be found on our website.

Other Opportunities and Benefits available to NAHU members

Exclusive offer for NAHU Members from National Underwriter - limited time only!

NAHU provides all members with discounted E&O Insurance.

NAHU sponsors a weekly radio show covering a variety of health insurance topics. Of particular interest is a recent show on planning for long-term care from a caregiver's perspective. Listen to Inside Health Insurance in America, NAHU member Sharon Alt's weekly Internet radio show! June 9, 2005: Issues Facing Caregivers of Long-Term Care Patients plus Capitol Hill Update.

Many articles in HIU, the official monthly publication of NAHU, are dedicated to the LTC sales industry.

THE NAHU WEBSITE HAD MORE THAN HALF A MILLION VISITORS LAST YEAR. OUR “FIND AN AGENT” FEATURE WAS THE MOST VISITED AREA OF OUR SITE, AND MANY CONSUMERS USE IT TO FIND A LONG-TERM CARE PROFESSIONAL IN THEIR AREA.

NAHU Dedicated Long-Term Care Staff

• Janet Trautwein, Executive Vice President and CEO
• John Greene, Vice President of Congressional Affairs
• Megan Mamarella, Director of State Affairs
• Farren Ross, Vice President of Education

NAHU LTC Advisory Committee Members

Contact information will be posted soon.

For more information on becoming a member of NAHU, contact membership@nahu.org.

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