A national campaign launched this morning focuses on newer options that provide individuals considering long term care insurance added flexibility as well as significant cost savings.

"Having long term care insurance coverage that can increase as care costs tend rise is valuable," explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) a national trade group.   The Association launched a national consumer awareness effort today to heighten awareness of the many options now available for future benefit increases.

The Association kicked off the effort with a national media campaign that has already generated news features in The Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch, on Reuters, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and a variety of other news media.

According to Slome, a healthy 55-year old couple might pay $1,440-per-year (combined) to obtain $175,000 of long-term care insurance protection for each spouse.   "If they add an option that increases their potential benefit amounts by five percent yearly, they'll face paying $5,850 yearly ($487-per-month)," he explains.  "That is clearly too expensive for most consumers today."

The Association director points out that the same 55-year-old couple selecting a policy where future benefits increase by one percent annually will pay $150 monthly.  "The cost for benefits growing two percent yearly is roughly $175-per-month," the AALTCI director explains.

"Too many inexperienced insurance agents today take an 'off the shelf' approach to recommending a long-term care insurance policy," Slome notes.  "What worked two, three or five years ago is totally different today and consumers would greatly benefit by comparing the most current available options that increase their potential benefits."

Slome points out that some newer, more innovative policies also allow insureds the flexibility to make future adjustments to their benefit growth percentage.    "The ability to change the future growth factor is a really meaningful built-in feature that is worth looking at," Slome adds.

Individuals interested in comparing long term care insurance costs from a designated specialist can call the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance at 818-597-3227 or visit the organization's website www.aaltci.org where free access to five long term care insurance consumer guides is available.