Few issues are more compelling than the need for long-term care. As our population ages, and as more and more people live longer in their retirement years, it’s likely that a larger number will be forced to confront this issue. In fact, more than half of all individuals will require some type of long-term care in their lifetimes.Those who work the senior market and those who provide retirement planning services and products must understand that the needs of the retiree extend well beyond asset accumulation, income distribution, and estate planning.

This course offers a comprehensive study of long-term care and long-term care insurance. Designed to meet Minnesota's 8-hour training requirement for licensed producers who sell long-term care insurance, the course covers the nature of long-term care, available long-term care services and providers, long-term care insurance products, government-sponsored health care options (including Minnesota's Medical Assistance), partnership programs, alternative LTC funding options, and the ethical and suitability issues associated with long-term care products and policies. The course concludes with a chapter on the state's Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and LTC partnership programs.

Upon conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

• describe the conditions that have led to the growing need for long-term care
• explain the types of LTC providers and the services they offer
• demonstrate an understanding of the options and limitations of Medicare and Medicaid for paying for long-term care
• outline and define the purpose, function, and application of long-term care insurance
• identify the provisions and features found in long-term care insurance policies
• explain the fundamentals of LTC partnership programs and the requirements for LTCI policies that are sold with these programs
• demonstrate an understanding of the ethics and suitability issues that surround the sale of LTC insurance
• describe the basics of Minnesota's Medicaid (MA) and LTC Partnership programs