What We Do
We help people buy insurance as a cost effective planning tool to help pay for their future long-term care expenses. Our goal is to help preserve their financial plan for the purposes they intended, by protecting their income and savings.
Everyone needs a plan for long-term care. Today, with all of the new products and innovations, there are now more long-term care funding options available than ever before.
As an Independent Insurance Broker, we use a comprehensive range of insurance products from a large group of high-quality insurance companies. Each provide flexible options that can be customized to fit your personal situation.
What would happen if you, or a family member, needed some form of long-term care? Who will provide the care? How much will it cost? Where will the money come from to pay the bills?
We can help you answer these questions, and work together to design a plan that is appropriate for you and your family. Whether you are looking for a basic Term Life Insurance policy with an Accelerated Benefits Rider, or a complex Long Term Care Insurance plan, we have the resources to help you.
"Can you just send me a quote?" Without knowing anything about you, what we send may not be appropriate. If you really want some preliminary numbers, you can fill out our on-line form and Get Long Term Care Insurance Quotes.
Client First
We work for you, as an Independent Insurance Broker, providing the highest level of objectivity, transparency, expertise, integrity, and service. We have no sales quotas, hidden agendas, or obligations to work with any particular insurance company.
A common theme among our clients is they appreciate the extra time we take with them; our ability to simplify the process; answer their questions in an unbiased, professional manner; and guide them to solutions that work for them.
Our experience, knowledge, resources, and philosophy will provide you with an exceptional insurance planning experience, helping you feel confident in the decisions you make.
Team Approach
We work with you and your advisors, as a member of your team, to help you decide how much insurance you need, what type of policy is best for your situation, and compare the cost of similar policies to help you save time and money.
Our affiliations with two national, independent insurance groups allows us to provide an extensive number of products and services that are not normally available to an independent, client oriented firm like ours. This gives you access to substantial resources for your insurance planning needs.
What is Long Term Care?
When you think about long-term care, what comes to mind? You might think about wasting away in a nursing home, isolated from friends and family, with no hope of improvement in the quality of your life. That grim image tends to be our immediate association with long-term care. Which is one reason why we don’t want to think about, or prepare for, what will happen to us and our family if we become unable to take care of ourselves.
However, most people receiving long-term care never end up in a nursing home.
Long Term Care is the care you may receive for a chronic impairment caused by an accident, illness, or just the frailty of aging. It can be physical, cognitive, or both.
- A physical impairment is defined as a chronic medical condition that can be managed by medication or therapy, but can’t be cured by either. By definition, these illnesses compromise your ability to get through the most basic daily functions. You may require help with Activities of Daily Living, like transferring from your bed to a chair, bathing, eating, toileting, or dressing. This help may be direct “hands-on” help, or simply “stand-by” help to keep you safe.
- A cognitive impairment is a measurable decline in your intellect making it difficult, if not impossible, for you to safely interact with others, or your environment. Such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, or resulting from a head injury.
Both conditions require custodial care that may be provided in your home, an assisted living environment, or as a last resort, a nursing home. Our goal is to help you plan for the possibility that you, or a family member may need care, and to use insurance as a cost-effective strategy to help pay for that plan.
Below is a brief highlight of three common insurance options. Our Resources page has consumer brochures and guides with more details. Our process includes reviewing the costs and benefits of each with you. The intention is to let you know what is available, and help you narrow the focus to what may be of interest to you.
Hybrid Life/LTC Insurance
Asset-Based LTC Insurance, also known as a Combo, Hybrid or Linked Benefit policy, combines life insurance and long-term care insurance into one multi-use policy.
These policies have guaranteed premiums payable over 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, or to age 100.
If long-term care benefits are never used, the premium can either be refunded to the policy owner, or paid to their beneficiary as a death benefit.
Traditional LTC Insurance
Traditional LTC Insurance policies are the most focused insurance approach, with cost-effective, comprehensive design features to fit everyone's interests and budget.
These policies have level premiums payable every year, with no return of premium or death benefit.
Many companies offer policies that allow spouses/partners to share benefits. This is a great way for couples to save money on premiums.
Life Insurance Living Benefits
Both Term Life and Cash Value Life Insurance now have options available that can give you access to your death benefit while you are living.
Accelerated Benefit Riders help if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness. They are either included or offered on most life insurance policies.
Chronic Illness Riders provide extended long-term care protection, and are generally only available on permanent, cash value policies.
Next Step
Whether you have a simple, one-time question, or a complex insurance planning task, you can email Ray to set up a no-obligation phone appointment. Or call him at 781-237-0004.