Tag Archives: Long Term Care

50-Somethings Advised to Calculate Their ‘Long-Term Care Savings Gap’

Denise Gott

KIRKLAND, Wash., Oct. 21, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Most Americans are poorly prepared to pay for long-term care costs, but there's a two-step fix, according to ACSIA Partners, a leading long-term care insurance agency. It starts by learning if there's a gap, and how big, between your ability to pay and your likely future expenses.

For most Americans there is indeed a gap. According to a May 2015 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 52 percent of households age 55 and older have no savings for retirement (let alone long-term care). If you're among the 48 percent with some retirement savings, you may be prepared to cover some, but not all, of your probable LTC tab.

What to do?

"Step one," says Denise Gott, CEO of ACSIA Partners, "is to see if you have a gap, and how big." Doing so can take less than five minutes. For a rough estimate, Gott recommends entering a few facts into a calculator provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://longtermcare.gov/savings-calculator/.

Here's a sample calculation for a 52-year old woman planning to retire in Florida, who could afford to set aside $300 (earning 4 percent interest) per month starting now. She would have a long-term care savings gap of $652,184, based on $839,263 in projected care costs in Florida, for life remaining after age 65, minus $187,079 in accumulated savings, as determined by government data and assumptions.

If the woman were married, there would likely be a similar gap for her partner.

Once you know you've got a gap, "the next step is just as simple and almost as quick," says Gott. "Ask a state-certified long-term care agent to help you explore your options." This can be done by phone or online. An in-person meeting is optional.

ACSIA Partners offers state-certified agents covering all parts of the country. To get in touch with one, just go to the company's website -- http://www.acsiapartners.com/ -- and submit an inquiry form indicating your state of residence.

About ACSIA Partners LLC:

ACSIA Partners is one of America's largest and most experienced long-term care insurance solution agencies with hundreds of agents serving all states. The company is also a co-founder and sponsor of the "3in4 Need More" campaign, run by the 3in4 Association, which encourages Americans to form a long-term care plan. More information: http://www.acsiapartners.com/.

* PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/15-1021-Denise-Gott-LTCgap-300dpi.jpg

* Photo Caption: ACSIA Partners CEO Denise Gott with graph of LTC gap.

Twitter: @AcsiaPartners

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/50-somethings-advised-to-calculate-their-long-term-care-savings-gap-2015-1021-01.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE ACSIA Partners LLC :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Just Among Friends: Long-Term Care Insurance on Facebook

LTC agents

KIRKLAND, Wash., Sept. 23, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Long-term care insurance agents often resist reaching out to friends who could use their help. And seekers of LTC insurance information also resist reaching out to friends who may be in the business. But there's much to gain from overcoming this reluctance, according to ACSIA Partners, a leading long-term care insurance agency.

"If you're an agent, you may recoil at the idea of selling to your friends," says Denise Gott, CEO of ACSIA Partners. "And if you're on the buying end, you may feel you're imposing if you approach a friend in the business. But you really should connect. In our experience, agents and buyers who are friends are getting together with good results on both sides."

Social media sites -- especially Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter -- make it easy for LTC agents to reach out in low-key ways, according to Gott. "Our people avoid the hard sell," she says. "That's important. Mostly they just make clear they're in the business. And they post useful information that friends appreciate. For example, a reminder of LTC deductions available at tax time, or facts on who needs protection, or available policy types."

Agents who get lots of inquiries from friends tend to post regularly, maintaining an ongoing presence and dialog. Two examples:

Gabrielle Gelo makes regular visits to Facebook and is amply rewarded. "Facebook allows me to reach out to childhood acquaintances that I might not have maintained contact with otherwise, through the high school Facebook page. They need help with long-term care planning, and the trust is already there," she says. "For me, social media works: it costs nothing, and takes minimal time."

Kim Beckham also enjoys a solid response from social media. "Last year, about three fourths of my business was Facebook-related," she reports. "And it was mostly with friends and family and referrals from friends and family."

Beckham, like Gelo, stresses the importance of keeping things low-key and friendly. For example, "On Facebook I don't use a business page," says Beckham. "I just use my personal page, because I feel I am my brand, and people are looking to me as a person, not an agent."

If you're a consumer, social media can be an especially good place to shop for LTC insurance, according to Gott. "It's fine to click on internet ads or request quotes on search engines," she says. "But if you value the personal touch, it's hard to beat social media for linking up with someone you know and trust."

ACSIA Partners LLC -- http://www.acsiapartners.com/ -- is one of America's largest and most experienced long-term care insurance solution agencies with hundreds of agents serving all states. The company is also a co-founder and sponsor of the "3in4 Need More" campaign, run by the 3in4 Association, which encourages Americans to form a long-term care plan.

* IMAGE (web): Send2Press.com/mediaboom/15-0923-acsia-sept-500x375.jpg

* Image Caption: ACSIA Partners agents Kim Beckham and Gabrielle Gelo with CEO Denise Gott.

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/just-among-friends-long-term-care-insurance-on-facebook-2015-0923-03.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE ACSIA Partners LLC :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

ACSIA Partners Offers Election Poll on Key Issue: Incentives to Help More Americans Afford Long-Term Care Insurance

CEO Denise Gott

KIRKLAND, Wash., June 24, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Today ACSIA Partners LLC announces a straw poll asking Americans to say which 2016 Presidential candidate, Democratic or Republican, is more likely to back federal incentives for owning long-term care insurance.

Available at http://ltcpoll2016.strikingly.com/, the poll simply asks, "Which party's candidate is more likely to offer new tax incentives for long-term care insurance?"

Why the poll?

"It's not just to take the pulse of the public," says Denise Gott, CEO of ACSIA Partners. "We want to influence the candidates. When they see the poll results, they might start taking the LTC issue more seriously."

The majority of senior Americans lack long-term care insurance, Gott points out. "It's not included in the Affordable Care Act, and Medicare doesn't cover most long-term care needs. Medicaid offers broad assistance, but only for those who lack means."

"For the vast majority of Americans," Gott continues, "private insurance is the only viable LTC insurance option, but millions shrink from the cost. New tax breaks could change that. The candidates need to take a position and include it in their talking points."

Senior voters could tip the election one way or the other, Gott asserts. "There are tens of millions of them. They show up at the polls. And when you add their family members to their numbers, they make up a clear majority of eligible voters."

The straw poll will run continuously and the tally will be updated after each submission. Results to date will be immediately visible to participants, at http://ltcpoll2016.strikingly.com/.

About ACSIA Partners:

ACSIA Partners LLC - http://www.acsiapartners.com/ - is one of America's largest and most experienced long-term care insurance solution agencies. The company is also a co-founder and sponsor of the "3in4 Need More" campaign, run by the 3in4 Association, which encourages Americans to form a long-term care plan.

IMAGES:
*PHOTO (web): send2press.com/mediaboom/14-0827-denise-gott-500x375.jpg

*Photo Caption: ACSIA Partners CEO Denise Gott.

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/14-1119-ACSIA-Partners-300dpi.jpg

Twitter: @AcsiaPartners

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/acsia-partners-offers-election-poll-on-key-issue-incentives-to-help-more-americans-afford-long-term-care-insurance-2015-0624-01.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE ACSIA Partners LLC :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Getting the Lowdown on Long-Term Care Insurance No Longer Laborious Thanks to Tech-Savvy Agents

Denise Gott

KIRKLAND, Wash., March 24, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Thinking about long-term care insurance but loathe to schedule a lengthy interview in your home? You may be laboring under an outmoded assumption, that reaching out to an expert is a big deal. That's no longer the case with a new breed of tech-savvy agents. So says ACSIA Partners, an industry leader, in a consumer alert issued today.

"Ten years ago," says Denise Gott, the company's CEO, "you made an appointment with an agent who came to your home and spent a fair amount of time with you. And you might have worried about sales pressure. But times have changed."

Lengthy in-home meetings are still available, she reports, but they're less and less the norm, at least in her organization. "Now most of our agents are connected and quick. They work remotely, by phone and screen-sharing, and they stick to the facts, respecting your time."

Many people assume the old time-consuming, face-to-face practices still prevail, according to Gott, "So they spend hours browsing the internet on their own, when they could get the facts in minutes from someone who knows."

She recommends reaching out in three-steps:
(1) Rule LTC insurance in or rule it out. "Just call one of our agents or have one call you. Say you've got five minutes and want to know if the insurance is right for you. Our agents ask concise screening questions and can steer you right, and quickly."

Long-term care insurance isn't for everyone, Gott points out. Other care solution (such as annuities, critical illness insurance, or life insurance with LTC riders) may be better for your situation. "The agent will tell you frankly."

(2) Ask for competitive quotes. "If LTC insurance is indicated, our agents go to bat for you," says Gott. "They don't offer just one policy choice. They research multiple options from multiple carriers, looking for the best set of benefits at the lowest cost. Then they present the choices to you, in your home if you like, or by PC, phone, and overnight mail."

(3) Submit an application or say no thanks. Once you receive the recommendations, the ball is in your court. Ask questions, thoroughly understand each policy choice from each carrier, and then pick one. Or reject them all. "Saying no is a rational response," says Gott. "Our agents are professionals. They don't take offense. And if you're dealing remotely, saying no may be easier."

If you decide on one of the proposed policies, the agent can help you complete the application. "There's very little paperwork that you have to do personally," says Gott. "Our agents handle most of it for you. It's part of their job."

"The main point," says Gott, "is not to put off seeking help because of outmoded assumptions. You're not committing to anything. All you're doing is asking for some quick answers."

ACSIA Partners includes a few hundred state-certified agents covering all parts of the country. To get in touch with one, just go to the company's website -- http://www.acsiapartners.com/ -- and submit an inquiry form indicating your state of residence.

ACSIA Partners LLC (in California, xACSIA Partners Insurance Agency LLC) is one of America's largest and most experienced long-term care insurance solution agencies. The company is also a co-founder and sponsor of the "3in4 Need More" campaign, run by the 3in4 Association, which encourages Americans to form a long-term care plan.

On July 2, 2014, LTC Financial Partners LLC and LTC Global Marketing Inc. announced the completion of the merger of the two companies into ACSIA Partners.

*Photo Caption: ACSIA Partners CEO Denise Gott.

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/14-1119-ACSIA-Partners-300dpi.jpg .

Twitter: @AcsiaPartners

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/getting-the-lowdown-on-long-term-care-insurance-no-longer-laborious-thanks-to-tech-savvy-agents-2015-0324-001.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE ACSIA Partners :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.