What’s the one reason women need LTCi?

It’s hard to pick just one since there are so many! But this one stands out among the rest:

If they’re not single right now, chances are they’ll end up single.

From the Society of Actuaries:

• 2/3 of people in the U.S. over 85 are women
• Half of women 75-84 and three-quarters of women 85+ are widows
• When they reach 65, women have a 31% chance of living to 90 (42% if they’re really healthy)
• Only 18% of women over 85 are married

From the Alzheimer’s Association:

• About two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women
• Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women; 34% are 65+. That takes a toll on their physical, emotional, and financial health.

In addition to becoming widows, it’s also a fact that more and more women will be divorced as they enter their later years.

And if your clients live alone (whether they’re female or male), they’re more likely to need paid care than if they’re married, or single and living with a partner. But since women outlive men by about five years on average, they’re more likely to live at home alone when they’re older. Chances are, they’ll need some sort of assistance.

Single or married, planning for long term care is essential for women.
Given all the information above, it’s not surprising that women account for two-thirds of all LTCi claim benefits paid. So it makes sense that they’d pay more for coverage than men (just like smokers pay more for life insurance and drivers with bad driving records pay more for auto insurance).

But there are things LLIS can do to help your female clients save on their LTCi premiums:

• One LTCi company LLIS works with still offers unisex rates; a benefit to women since their premiums are typically higher. But this won't last forever!
• If your female client is married or partnered:
  • She and her spouse/partner can get a shared care policy. That means they share the pool of benefits. So if her partner passes away or doesn’t use the full benefits, she still has access to any remaining benefits from the partner’s portion of the policy.
  • With a hybrid, they can get a second-to-die life insurance policy with LTCi acceleration and an inflation rider to benefit the surviving spouse/partner (statistically shown to be female). It’s also a good thing to have if they both go out on claim at the same time.
  • Partner discounts are available even if the partner doesn’t apply (married and unmarried couples).
• Unmarried adults living together may be able to get discounted rates from some insurers.

Jill MacNeil is teamLLIS’s long term care insurance specialist. She can help you find the right solution for your clients and will share with you why she knows firsthand the importance of LTCi for women.