Long-term care insurance has been a difficult product to sellfor some time, and recent events have called its marketabilityfurther into question. With several prominent insurers, includingPrudential and MetLife, announcing decisions to stop signing newLTCI policies, and with the federal government's decision last yearto halt implementation of its own health care reform-basedvoluntary program—the CLASS Act—the future for the entire issue oflong-term care insurance—at first glance—looks grim.

After a second look, though, there are glimmers of promise, anda reason to believe LTCI—especially voluntary LTCi—will presentreal opportunities for sales, while offering real hope for millionsof Americans who might need the protection it provides or the peaceof mind it affords. In fact, as a matter of simple arithmetic, itmakes sense for agents and brokers to keep the long-term carebenefit in play.  

Consider this: Out of a population of more than 300 million,roughly 8 million have LTCI right now. The potential for newcustomers is simply a mathematical fact, particularly whenconsidering the reality that Medicaid-funded long-term care isunsustainable. And keep in mind the U.S. population is agingdramatically, and is set to pick up the aging pace further in thenext few years thanks to more than 78 million baby boomers. As agrowing number of individuals confront the need for long-term care,and as more of their adult children begin paying for it, theperceived value and pressing importance of insurance willautomatically increase.