Stop worrying about long-term care

On the list of things that keep people up at night, thinking about long-term care doesn’t rank very high for most people. Many of us in the voluntary industry might argue that it should keep more people up at night, but I try to take a different perspective. Worrying about long-term care and, in general, healthcare costs, is my job. It’s my job to know about it, care about it and, when needed, communicate that knowledge to clients so that they don’t have to worry.



And that’s one of the reasons I’ve landed here in my new role at Trustmark: I do care. These benefits aren’t just a product I sell, they mean something to me. Particularly, as I alluded to above, the challenges posed by long-term care. Here’s why and here’s how that caring landed me at Trustmark:

What long-term care means to me

Long-term care (LTC) protection means giving people and their families an extra layer of financial protection should they ever become sick or need to recover from an accident.  As I mentioned above, not everyone knows the facts around long-term care, which is why it doesn’t keep them up at night. But, I do know the facts:

• The cost of in-home care is typically more than $50,000 annually¹
• The numbers here in TN are, fortunately, lower, but not by much¹
• The average length of long-term care need is about 3 years²

The math doesn’t lie – how many people are equipped to handle these costs? We’re not exactly talking about the spare change you find in your couch cushions here. I look at the numbers like this and it all comes home for me. I worry about my family, my kids and what the need for care might do to them. When you frame it in that context, these aren’t just numbers, it’s personal for me.

More than that, I’ve seen the effects of long-term care firsthand. Someone close to me has been sick and required a stay in a LTC facility. Of course, it’s hard to see that situation in itself, but I’ve also seen the toll it takes on everyone around them both financially and emotionally.

That’s where Trustmark comes in

Trustmark is, simply put, a company that listens first. I can’t tell you how rare and refreshing that is. That listening has led to a truly innovative life and long-term care product. What’s great about the product is that it resonates with my belief in the need for the product and with my philosophy of working with and on behalf of my clients. In fact, our unique Trustmark Universal LifeEvents® product was developed based on feedback directly from one of our customers to deliver both a life and long-term care solution. This approach of listening extends well beyond life and long-term care, it permeates the entire product line at Trustmark. The last year has been tough on all of us and it feels good to be working with a company that cares – about their products and about the people their products protect.

It means a lot to be able to offer protection that people need – even if they don’t realize it. An important part of doing that is finding the right products and finding the right partners to help deliver those solutions to clients. I’m confident I’ve landed in the right place to offer the right products and I’m excited to forge those relationships and deliver those solutions for the Tennessee market. Now, my goal is to provide the marketplace a product that it desperately needs. I want to be a part of educating brokers and employees as to why it’s important to plan for long-term care so they can make informed decisions for protecting themselves, their clients and their families. I want to be the one who worries about long-term care, so they don’t have to.
 
¹ Genworth Cost of Care. 2019.
² How much care will you need. DHS. 2017.

Trustmark Universal LifeEvents is a registered trademark of Trustmark Insurance Company.