Thanks to my friend and colleague, Ron Hagelman, for another great column, featured in the May 2011 edition of Broker’s World.

Ron, a noted national long-term care insurance (LTCi) expert, is as concerned about the public’s denial of possible LTC needs as I am. He sees the same things I do and is just as frustrated. His sense of humor is better than mine, however.

Here’s Ron’s piece, called “Faulty Wiring”.  It uses the analogy of faulty wiring to describe the public’s disconnect when it comes to responsible long-term care planning.

I saw my hairdresser today. She’s a cancer survivor who’s insurable. Last month she told me she was squeezed and could not afford LTCi: no way, no how. Today she told me she would be gone three weeks. She’s traveling to Italy. She can afford Italy, but not  $100/month for LTCi premiums. This type of denial is what Ron and I face daily. We are both highly concerned because we’ve seen how well things turn out for people who need care and own LTCi. We see how sad the situation often is for people who don’t own LTCi.