Some of you have probably heard about or read the 2007 New York Times best-seller, “Eat This, Not That." So what does this have to do with Group LTC Insurance? Not much, other than the fact that there’s a formula or a series of best practices to that lead to both weight loss and successful enrollments. We’re human… we’ve had our share of enrollment failures and successful ones too, so we’ve compiled a “Do This” list for your review. 

“Do This” for Group LTC Insurance Success:

1. Do be proactive – simply ask your clients if they’re interested in having a conversation about Group LTCI. In addition to groups who have never offered coverage, you may be surprised at how many "orphan" LTC plans are in place from carriers who no longer offer coverage to new employees.  Employers may have one of these existing plans and looking for ongoing support. Don't let someone else discuss this important issue with your valuable accounts.
2. Do position Group LTCI as a part of your financial wellness or retirement readiness discussions.  Yes, LTC Insurance fills in important holes in health insurance coverage - and many people mistakenly believe that Medicare will cover LTC Insurance at some point.  However, the real appeal of long-term care insurance is protecting a retirement plan from the impact of a long-term care event.  Having a large 401(k) balance without LTC Insurance protecting it is like owning a home without insuring it.
3. Do conduct enrollments off-cycle – simple stated…this is a must.  Don't try an enroll a group during typical open enrollment periods - the results will be poor every time.
4. Do work for 100% employee awareness  though email communication, webinars, and one-on-one-consultations.  Don't go forward with an enrollment unless you get the committment of the employer to conduct an email campaign.
5. Do make sure the email communication campaign includes personalized rate quotes – research shows that people want to know (early in the process) what this coverage costs.  Often prospective buyers of LTC Insurance are amazed at how affordable it is. Don't make them work to find out how much a policy is!

Bottom line - successfully helping employers and employee plan for long-term care is often a matter of avoiding doing certain things in addition to doing the right things.