It’s important to focus on the things you can control when helping your clients create a plan, especially when it comes to business owners who have unique financial needs. But by being the advisor who talks about long-term care, you can protect their bottom-line.
Business owners have unique financial needs. As their advisor, you need to make sure they are protected from risk.
The solution: Focusing on the things we CAN control and helping your clients plan for them.
Be the advisor who talks about long-term care. Be the advisor protecting their bottom line.
Here are the top 10 reasons long-term care planning makes perfect sense for your business owner clients and why YOU need to be the one talking about it:
About 40% of employees are currently providing care to a loved one, whether they identify as a caregiver or not. Employees who are providing care are more likely to smoke, drink, and eat unhealthy food. Also, they generally get less sleep and exercise less — potentially increasing the business’s health and disability costs.
A worksite plan not only benefits employees, but it also benefits their family as well. Even plans that don’t allow for family members to purchase their own coverage will alert employees of the need of talking with relatives about long-term care.
Most people who plan for long-term care expect the family to be involved, even if they can afford to pay for around-the-clock care. A plan for long-term care reduces the burden on the family and can lessen the possibility of caregiver burnout.
Employees who help their families plan are more able to balance work and care if a loved one does need care down the road. It can allow them to continue working instead of becoming a full-time caregiver.
Although self-funding a long-term care need is an option, it ties up that money, waiting for the day it’s needed. By transferring the risk to an insurance company, additional funds can be enjoyed instead of remaining earmarked for a potential long-term care event. By offering coverage through the worksite, business owners can not only transfer their own risk, but they can look at carving out benefits for executives as well.
Long-term care products include the option to add a compound rider, which increases the benefit each year. Adding 3% compound to a policy means that over 10 years, the policy will provide at least 34% more coverage. That translates into hundreds of thousands of dollars that don’t have to be paid out of pocket.
And for younger employees who might not be able to afford as much inflation protection, there are options to add coverage later, without having to be fully underwritten.
Many worksite plans offer discounted coverage to spouses and elder family members, even if the employer doesn’t contribute to the premiums. It’s possible that an employee might opt not to purchase coverage through the worksite, but still help their parents or spouse purchase coverage.
For the business owner, covering the parents is potentially more valuable than covering the employee. With a plan in place, the employee is much more likely to be able to keep working.
In fact, they can choose to offer coverage only to their key employees. And, if they do decide to help pay for coverage, tax breaks may be available in the form of state and federal deductions. But whether or not they contribute, benefits are received tax tree to the insured.
No matter how long the policy is in-force, if full benefits are paid for a year, all premiums paid in are typically recovered. And if inflation protection is added and the benefits have time to grow, the premiums are recouped much faster. If the employer is paying the premiums, they are providing their top people with one of the most valuable benefits available in the worksite, a definite retention factor.
It’s all about convenience for employers. And, in some cases, reduced underwriting for employees (such as ignoring build and cancer history) can also mean higher placement and less hassle for everyone.
It also means continued commissions for you, as payroll deduction keeps policies paid on time.
Having State Partnership programs ensures that once the benefit is used up, the insured can qualify for Medicaid without having to spend down as many assets. For the middle class, this can offer not only protection for a long-term event, but protection of additional assets. Planning now can also protect against state-proposed legislation that could make it harder to get an application processed.
This is one case where good things don’t come to those who wait. Long-term care insurance will likely become more expensive, and options more restrictive, in the future. And, as you’ve heard many times, health changes can also make it more difficult.
Hopefully, at least one of these reasons put you in mind of a business owner (or several!) you can help. As the industry continues to evolve, pricing is more stable and your Palladium Group team is keeping up with the fresh solutions available — both for the worksite and for individuals. Reach out today at (888) 274‑5462 and contact@thepalladiumgrp.com.
*This material is for financial professional and educational use only. Not to be reproduced or shown to clients.