Letter to the editor: Let clients look into LTC costs

This is in response to the article on long term care cost surveys (Cost surveys–and how to use them).

In my opinion, it is too easy for a prospect to dismiss statistics as being invalid because the figures are considered as just part of the agent’s sales pitch.

Instead of the advisor quoting national average costs of nursing home care, consider this: The agent presents names and phone numbers of five LTC facilities in the area in which the prospect lives. Instead of talking about average costs, give the prospect these names and numbers. Then have the prospect call one of the facilities on the list and ask what the daily rate is. Have the prospect write down this figure. Then ask the prospect to telephone a second facility and write down that daily room rate, too; and so on.