The vast majority (79.2%) of long-term care insurance agents participating in a national survey expect their new policy sales in 2019 will be higher or at least equal to 2018 according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI).
"Nearly half of the 333 agents responding to the survey expect sales of traditional long-term care insurance policies will be higher," explains Jesse Slome, director of AALTCI. The organization surveyed over 1,000 insurance professionals who have prior experience selling both traditional and linked-benefit LTC insurance policies.
Only 20.8 percent of the survey participants expected lower sales this year according to the study's findings. "There was even greater optimism for the sale of linked-benefit policies," Slome shared.
The survey found that 92.8 percent expected sales of linked-benefit LTC policies would be equal to or higher than their prior year's sales. "In terms of expecting their personal sales to increase, some 65.8 percent expected they would sell more linked-benefit LTC policies in 2019 than they did in 2018," Slome shared.
Optimism Extends Into The Future
The survey queried participants about their outlook five years into the future. "Overall, there was great optimism for the future of the industry and their own personal sales," Slome notes. Some 43.1 percent of the survey's respondents expect that in 2023, their sales of both traditional and linked-benefit policies will be higher than today. Only 6.6 percent expected their sales of both will be lower.
A minority of respondents (7.5 percent) expressed that by 2024 they expected that traditional long-term care insurance products would no longer be available and that all sales would be linked-benefit long-term care offerings.
The complete findings of the survey and information regarding the survey participants can be accessed online. Click here to see the survey findings.
The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance advocates for the importance of long-term care planning. The organization connects consumers with knowledgeable professionals who are independent advisors for no-cost, no-obligation long-term care insurance quotes and policy comparisons.
Jesse Slome is founder of the organization and currently serves as the director for AALTCI as well as the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance as well as the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance and the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance advocate for the importance of planning and support insurance professionals nationwide. Jesse Slome, founder and executive director of the organizations, is a leading consumer advocate and author of numerous consumer and professional guides focused on retirement and insurance planning that have been published by governmental agencies and private organizations.