LTC Bullet: "LTC Choice" and the Future of Long-Term Care Tuesday December 1, 1998 Seattle-- Principals of the Center for Long-Term Care Financing spent a productive week in Washington, D.C. in mid-November. Steve Moses, President and David Rosenfeld, V.P. and Chief Counsel, briefed 13 key constituencies on "LTC Choice," the Center's creative new proposal for long-term care financing reform. Moses addressed a National Press Club Forum, gave two national radio interviews, and attended the First National Long-Term Care Forum, a training conference for long-term care insurance agents. Moses and Rosenfeld monitored the 10th anniversary Advanced Elder Law Institute of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). A common thread runs through all of these activities. The Center
for Long-Term Care Financing's "LTC Choice" proposal
advocates strong public policy to encourage private financing
of long-term care and to discourage Medicaid dependency. The Center
seeks To describe how LTC Choice can reduce the LTC financing burden
on tax payers, help to save Medicaid for the needy, and unleash
the market for private long-term care insurance, Center staff
briefed Congressional staff members representing Congressman Chris
Shays, Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, and the Senate Special Committee
on Aging; White House Senior Health Policy The National Press Club Forum, at which Moses served as a panelist, gave rise to national media coverage of the Center for Long-Term Care Financing's message including stories that will be written over time by reporters who attended the briefing and obtained copies of the "LTC Choice" proposal and other related materials. National radio interviews with Steve Moses on UPI Radio and Radio America presented an opportunity to warn the public about the dangers of ignoring the risk of long-term care until it is too late. The Long-Term Care Forum (November 13-15), sponsored by G.J.
Luque & Company, presented a superb array of training programs
and creative general sessions for the benefit of long-term care
insurance agents. Top-flight training of this kind is critically
needed in the long- One feature of the Forum gave reason for concern, however.
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) has co-ventured
with one of its founding members (Harley Gordon), to offer a for-profit
professional certification and designation for long-term care
insurance agents. This program was introduced at the LTC Forum
with great fanfare. Because of what trans- Can the private long-term care insurance market thrive and
grow when people can ignore the risk, avoid the premiums, and
get the government to pay when and if they ever need long-term
care? Can long-term care insurance and Medicaid estate planning
co-exist? Should long-term care insurance agents look to the trade
association of the Medicaid planners (NAELA) For answers to these questions and further analysis, stay tuned
to "LTC Bullets."
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