LTCI underwriting sees tougher standards

This doesn’t mean that only clients with pristine health histories shouldn’t apply for LTCI, Stein emphasizes. But it does make it more important to get preliminary indications of what to expect from underwriting because insurer’ practices vary. “If I have a client with any kind of problem, I will check with the insurance companies without using the client’s name,” says Stein. “I’ll send them (through a general agent) the basic health information I have and say who’s going to give this client the best deal based upon what we know? And, on an informal basis, without any guarantee but also without any recordkeeping related to the specific client’s name, they will come back and say it looks OK for us or it doesn’t look OK for us.”