Welcome to the thirty-sixth edition of Long-Term Care in the News.  We, at Custom Care Solution, LLC, want you to be on the cutting edge of changes and updates within the Long-Term Care and Annuity industry.  We will accomplish this through these email bulletins distributed regularly to our brokers, agents and their staffs.

JOHN HANCOCK ANNOUNCES LTC INSURANCE UNDERWRITING CHANGES

The John Hancock Underwriting Department is committed to reviewing their underwriting guidelines every 12 months to ensure that “Best Practices” are always in place.  They recently completed the next iteration of their underwriting evaluation, performing extensive medical research, consulting with geriatric experts and analyzing the past 16 years of claims experience.  They are pleased to announce the following changes:

• 14 previously declined or postponed condition profiles can now be considered
• Hypertension treated with a dual action medication can be considered at preferred rates
• Recover period for new onset diabetes has been reduced from 12 months to 6 months
• Their cognitive screening criteria has been modified

For a complete list of these updates, please contact us.

METLIFE VIP 2 TO LAUNCH IN MANY MORE STATES

The VIP 2 Policy Series for MetLife will be launched in Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, New Mexico, Oklahoma and West Virginia on April 18, 2005. For any of your prospects, in those states, you have only up until May 18, 2005 to sign and date an application for the current VIP series.  All applications in these states must be received at the Home Office by June 2, 2005.  The following states will launch on May 23, 2005, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin on May 23, 2005.  If you have any prospects or clients in these states, now is the time to reach out to them.  We have been comparing the prices between the VIP and VIP 2 Series and it can be quite substantial.  For more information about MetLife’s VIP or VIP 2 Policy Series, please contact us.

MET LIFE IS CLOSE TO LAUNCHING THEIR INDIVIDUAL CALIFORNIA PARTNERSHIP – TWO CE SEMINARS SCHEDULED

Met Life is presenting two CE Partnership Seminars in May 2005. If you attend one of these seminars you will obtain the 4-hour CE credits required to maintain the CPLTC Certification. The seminars are being held in Northern California, Wednesday May 11, 2005, at the Holiday Inn-Concord California. The Southern California seminar will be held Thursday May 19, 2005 at the Embassy Suites- Anaheim, in Garden Grove, CA. Check the California Partnership website at www.dhs.ca.gov/CPLTC (click the blue text when online) then choose the 2005 Agent Training, the Registration Brochure for complete information about the seminars and how to register and attend.

ING SECURE INDEX – NY’S ONLY EIA ANNUITY

GOING OFF THE MARKET- MAY 6, 2005

NY’s only Equity Indexed-Annuity is going off the market. Friday May 6, 2005 is the cut off date for all new applications. Your client needs only $5,000 to open an account. Once your client opens the account, they can continue to add new money into this popular annuity. Rates have just increased. For purchases between $5,000-100,000 Fixed Rates are 3.5% and the Guaranteed Strategy has a 7% Cap. (1.5% Floor). For $100,000 +, Fixed Rates are 3.5% and the Guaranteed Strategy has a cap of 8%.  (1.5% Floor).  Agents only need their life license in order to sell this product.   ING has also announced HIGHER COMMISSIONS on their Selectra and MarketSmart Annuities effective April 18, 2005.  The ING Secure Index Annuity outside NY will still be available for sale. This product has three strategies to choose from with higher caps. Visit http://www.fixeddesignrates.com/ for the most current interest rates.

CUSTOM CARE SOLUTION LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

USE AS A REFERENCE TOOL

We are pleased to announce that we have officially launched our website.  Check us out on the web at http://www.customcaresolution.com/.  We have developed this site as an easy reference tool for you to use.  Are you new to the LTC industry or do you need to brush up on some of the basics, check out “LTC 101”.  Do you want to learn more about the carriers that we represent, go to “Our Carriers” section for a quick synopsis of the LTC products currently being offered.  Are you in need of a reference tool for all the most up to date tax information, visit our “Tax Deductibility” section.  There is so much more for you to utilize on our site.  Do you want to get into the hot, Employer Sponsored market?  We have a whole section dedicated to this marketplace.  Bookmark http://www.customcaresolution.com/, we know it will be one of your favorites.

We at CCS are continually looking for ways to keep our brokers up to date. If you’d like to send comments or suggestions to make this newsletter better, please feel free to contact us.

Debra A. Walker, LTCP, CLTC, CLU                           Karin L. Wertheim, LTCP, CLTC