I have recently applied for LTCi thru State Farm in Indiana & was denied. Reason on rejection letter said "psoriasis". Is this something that would hinder me from being accepted with another company? Both the non-contagious but pesty skin disease? Or a rejection on my record?
The underwriter told my agent it was due to the fact I may need to be quarantined in the future (which was news to my dermatologist) but regardless, the official ruling was psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an insurable condition with most LTC insurers.
Even "Psoriatic arthritis" is an insurable condition with many LTC insurers.

Having been denied coverage by one LTC insurer is not cause for you to be denied coverage from other LTC insurers.

I have some clients who were denied coverage by 3 or 4 different companies, but have been able to get approved by an A or A+ rated LTC insurance company.

Every LTC insurer has a different way of looking at health history.

Scott A. Olson

The agent was told by the underwriter (off the record) it was because my psoriasis medication was on their "no-no" list but there was no guarantee if I switched meds (which I am not really interested in doing) that I would then be accepted.

I think I will look into other companies.

Per their website, TransAmerica does not have a shared policy in IN.
Is Genworth an option for IN?
I don't even know where to begin looking.
The other local agent I have talked with wants to sell their product (obviously) but I feel is less knowledgeable about LTCi than I am.

Too much to sift through. Basically not apples/apples. More do you want an orange/banana/grape!

So what, pray-tell is your medication? It sounds like there is more to the story than meets the eye?

Enbrel. It's an arthritis med (injection) that they have found is effective for psoriasis. I've never been diagnosed with arthritis. 1 low-risk side effect of Enbrel is tuberculosis. Guess what? Breathing air also gives you risk of TB. ??
My problem is they did not list Enbrel as my rejection reasoning but the non-contagious but incurable skin disease.

1) Enbrel is not an "uninsurable medication" with most LTC insurers.

2) If you live in Indiana, you would probably be better off NOT buying a shared policy. The one really good "shared" policy is no longer available in Indiana. You'd be better off buying two separate policies (one for each spouse) especially if you want "total asset protection" under the Indiana Long-Term Care Partnership program.

Scott A. Olson

[quote][/quote] Enbrel is not an "uninsurable medication" with most LTC insurers.[quote]

Scott,
True, however there are a number of carriers that wil not insure someone while on enbrel and, there are even more that will not insure someone taking enbrel injections.

I guess there's something about enbrel that the carriers just don't feel comfortable with.
Arthur

Thanks for ALL your input. I have been working on this for months & you've given me better answers in a few posts than I've been able to get from any agent to date.

I have eyeballed the Genworth AARP group coverage. From some of the previous posts it looks like it's a decent program & company with good rankings.
Any other companies I should look at?

I have an upcoming appointment with my dermatologist. If I do switch to a different family of meds for my psoriasis, how long do I have to be off the Enbrel before I can apply with another company? Is there a waiting period?

Each company will look at that differently and some may want to see you off enbrel for up to 12 months. However, if you trust your doctor and enbrel is the medication that's recommended, you should not change your meds and possibly jeopardize your health for a LTC policy.

Genworth offers a good policy. Before you schedule a meeting with any agent, make sure to check whether enbrel injections are acceptable. If you're insurable with Genworth, you'll be insurable at no higher than a standard health rate.

If not, you need to sit with an independent agent that specializes in LTC insurance and represents most companies in your state. If you need someone, you can visit this website.
http://www.aaltci.org

Good luck,
Arthur

If you live in Indiana it is probably in your best interest to purchase an Indiana Long Term Care Partnership policy.

At this time, the Genworth AARP group policy is NOT an Indiana Partnership policy.

The Genworth policy that is not endorsed/sold by AARP is an Indiana Partnership policy.

You can learn more about the Indiana LTC Partnership program at:

http://www.in.gov/iltcp/


Scott A. Olson

But the Genworth Classic Select is an Indiana Partnership policy.

And like everyone has said, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis treated with enbrel is no big deal, at least not with Genworth.

State Farm rejects alot of insurable applicants. A State Farm agent just sent me a policyholder with well controlled Crohn's disease that he could not underwrite.

The issue here is enbrel injections. Enbrel is not a medication that any carrier feels comfortable with. It weakens the immune system and inhibits the body from fighting off infections.

From a drug website:

Jack,
I think it would be smart of her to apply for the Genworth Classic Select policy under the Indiana LTC Partnership.

But, because of the way the Indiana Partnership program works, she would be better off getting two individual policies rather than a shared policy. The Total Asset Protection that is offered under the Indiana LTC Partnership program works best with two individual policies rather than shared policies.

Scott

Could be smart, but really depends on her specific desires for long term care planning, income, and assets, and other factors.

Partnership benefits are not necessarily important to many buyers. I have many HNW clients that really don't have a need for Partnership benefits. Even if a policyholder spends down assets, they still must also meet State Medicaid income eligibility requirements. And, of course by accepting Medicaid, care must be received in Medicaid eligible nursing facilities.

I can only speak for my client base but we view long term care planning as nursing home/Medicaid avoidance planning. My clients often will select enhanced benefits, over Partnership/non-partnership issues.

It can be easy to have the "tail wag the dog" sometimes when discussing Partnership benefits.

But my client base might be different than other advisers.

Jack Lenenberg, J.D.