Welcome to the 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 industry. We will accomplish this through these email bulletins distributed each week to our brokers, agents and their staffs.

Long-Term Care In The News …….

Multi-Life Update

Doing business with companies or associations outside New York State? Transamerica has one of the most competitive worksite programs in the market today. They offer three levels of underwriting for their worksite plans. Modified Guarantee Issue (answer 3 medical questions), Simplified Issue (answer 8 medical questions and Full Underwriting (answer 16 questions). TransCare Options for the Worksite offers a 40% Marital Discount to couples who purchase identical coverage and a 20% Preferred Discount for active, non-tobacco users. A 10% Worksite Discount is available to worksites of 5+ employees. A 10% Association Discount is available to Business Associations and a 5% Association Discount is available to non-business associations with prior Home Office approval. Family members are eligible to apply for coverage but must be fully underwritten. Family includes spouses, children over age 18, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, parents, grandparents, and in-laws. Family members are also eligible for any and all discounts that apply to the employee and the discounts are permanent. Policies are guaranteed renewable and fully portable. We have recently learned from Transamerica that a PEO would qualify for the TransCare Options for the Worksite program – this provides an incredible marketing opportunity for you. What is a PEO?? A Professional Employer Organization serves as an offsite Human Resources Department. Companies enter into an agreement with the PEO and the PEO takes responsibility for HR administration and compliance for which they charge a fee. The employees of the companies continue to work at their company location and employers continue to exercise control over their business. Are any of your clients members of a PEO??? We encourage you to review your client base and contact them regarding this worksite program that you can bring to them to enhance their employee benefits package. Call us today to learn more about the details of Transamerica’s TransCare Options for the Worksite program, including benefit limits and participation requirements. In addition, the Executive Staff of Custom Care Solutions is available any time to accompany you to an employer or association to help you CLOSE THE DEAL !!!

Product Update

Effective March 31, 2004, the new Prudential Long-Term Care Insurance product LTC By Design will be approved for sale in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The current LTC insurance product will be available for sale in Pennsylvania and Virginia until Wednesday, April 14^th. LTC applications for the current product must be signed and dated no later than Wednesday, April 14^th, and received in LTC Operations no later than Wednesday, April 21^st. Prudential’s LTC insurance quoting software, LTC By Design, has been updated for these states. In addition to the attached patch, you may download software, supply order forms or marketing materials, by going to their website www.pruxpress.com.

GE Capital: beginning April 1, 2004 all applicants age 64 and younger that wish to qualify for the preferred health discount will be subject to a phone health interview. Do we see a trend here?? Last week we announced Prudential will no longer except preferred ratings for Lifetime benefits and we know John Hancock does not offer Preferred discounts on Lifetime benefits …. Hmmm.

Need a new outlet for your clients who want to buy a Cash Benefit Long-Term Care product? Now that UNUM has their 2003 Rate Series approved in New York (all applications for the ’94 product have to be received in UNUM’s Home Office by March 31, 2004), are you looking for a more competitive professional indemnity and/or cash product? We have what you are looking for!! Mass Mutual has a professional indemnity product which is extremely competitive for clients who are young (between 40 and 60) and healthy. Mass Mutual also has a full return of premium rider available in New York State!! MedAmerica has launced their Simplicity product in NY and it is a true cash product and rates are very competitive at most ages. MedAmerica also has a full return of premium rider available in NY. MetLife has a professional indemnity benefit as well as a true cash product. Don’t let the new UNUM rates scare you away from indemnity or cash LTC!!! Call us today to receive your quotes from any of these other fine carriers.