Smart Insurance Planning Leads To Peace Of Mind
Create a Positive Legacy
The decisions you make today will affect your family for generations to come. Help protect your children and your children's children from potentially devastating consequences should you need long-term care without having a plan in place. By preparing now, you can give those you love both financial and emotional peace of mind.
Insurance Services & Planning
Medicare Planning
I can help you navigate the complexity of Medicare enrollment and also help you change your existing Medicare plan to one that is better for you.
You pay nothing extra to work with me.
Life Insurance Planning
Don’t leave your loved ones unprotected.
Term life insurance and/or permanent life insurance solutions are affordable and can save families from potential financial ruin.
Long-Term Care Planning
We'll review the differences between funding long-term care with your own assets vs designing a traditional or hybrid insurance plan that meets your needs.
Meet Liz Eshleman
Long-Term Care Planning Specialist
"I purchased a long-term care insurance policy for myself, and subsequently changed my career to provide insurance solutions for families and help them plan for the future in ways my own family had not. -Liz
“I have been there, and I can help you.”
I've always been an educator. My first career was in music: I was a singer, choir conductor, and professor at Mills College in Oakland, CA, when my mom in her late 80s became too frail to live at home alone. As her need for care escalated, she spent down her entire life savings over the course of a few short years. Our family didn't know about long-term care insurance at that time.
A year after her death, I purchased a long-term care insurance policy for myself, and subsequently changed my career to provide insurance solutions for families and help them plan for the future in ways my own family had not. While I am still an educator at heart, I have now made it my mission to help other families avoid the devastating financial and emotional consequences of not having a long-term care plan in place.
If I help you design a suitable long-term care insurance, life insurance, and/or Medicare plan that you ultimately purchase, I will be paid a commission by the company that covers you. There will be no additional cost for working with me.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Medicare plan? +
There is no 'one size fits all' with insurance. The best Medicare plan will be one we design together to give you the best coverage at an affordable price. I will demystify Medicare for you! Discussing Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement plans and Part D Prescription Drug plans will help you make a decision about Medicare coverage that truly suits your needs.
What is the difference between traditional long-term care insurance, and a hybrid plan? +
Traditional long-term care insurance functions in the same way as your home insurance or your automobile insurance: the premium you pay transfers the financial consequences of a long-term care event directly onto the shoulders of the insurance company, protecting you from the devastating cost of paying for services out-of-pocket. As with the other insurance services, you will not receive a return of your premiums if you never need long-term care. Your money will have been well spent, providing total protection and peace of mind for those you love.
The hybrid plan does all of the above, but will also provide a death benefit to your beneficiaries if you never need care. The money you spend on premiums will be recaptured either way.
How long does a typical long-term care planning session take? +
After an initial conversation of 10-15 minutes when you tell me more about your health and finances to make sure that there are affordable options, we will meet via computer and/or by phone to discuss the plans I have found for you to consider. This longer conversation will last anywhere from 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours, depending on your questions.
How difficult is it to get long-term care coverage? +
Getting long-term care insurance can be like navigating an obstacle course. The process will depend on your health, including current conditions and past chronic conditions that might be considered “uninsurable". My job is to streamline the process for you and help you get approved for the coverage you want. Getting through the underwriting process--when the insurance company evaluates your health--can be tricky.
As long as I have a clear picture of your health conditions, I can do my best to find a solution for you. I will only recommend that you apply for long-term care insurance if underwriting guidelines can be met.
Why not simply work with my financial advisor to get coverage? +
Financial advisors are terrific for investment questions, and their opinions about long-term care insurance planning can be very helpful, but they may not know the pitfalls involved in navigating the underwriting process.
Do we need to meet in person? +
I enjoy meeting with my clients in person. It also works quite well to have the consultation over the phone and/or via computer. We'll decide together how we want to meet.
How expensive is it? +
The cost of long-term care insurance could range from $100/month to $500-600/month, depending on factors such as your age, gender, and health, along with the specific benefits of a plan.
Again, there is no "one size fits all" with long-term care insurance, or any of the other insurance solutions we consider together.
Is long-term care insurance really worth the cost? +
The value of long-term care insurance goes beyond simply offsetting the costs of care you may or may not need in the future.
My clients who decide to move forward and apply for long-term care insurance tell me they feel relieved to have made a decision that protects not only their assets from unnecessary spend-down but their family members or friends from the potential burden of having to provide and manage their care.
Smart insurance planning now can provide your family with both financial and emotional peace of mind for years to come.
More questions? Contact Liz Eshleman, Medicare, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Care Insurance Planning Specialist