Purchasing Affordable Long Term Care Insurance for Maryland AARP Members Simplified by Genworth Life Insurance Company

RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Long term care costs in Maryland continue to rise, putting significant financial pressure on those in or near retirement. As a leader in the long term care insurance industry, Genworth Life Insurance Company (Genworth Life) offers a suite of insurance products to help people proactively plan for their future. Now, AARP® members that reside in Maryland can take advantage of new coverage options designed to simplify the process of purchasing affordable long term care insurance.

Genworth Life, a Genworth Financial company, today introduced in Maryland My Future, My Plan(SM), a suite of long term care insurance plans created exclusively for AARP members. My Future, My Plan is the result of Genworth Life combining its unique expertise in long term care insurance with what it has learned about AARP's membership needs. With My Future, My Plan, AARP members get access to industry-leading features while maintaining the ability to customize a plan that falls within their price range, meeting their lifestyle needs. In three simple steps, AARP members can choose one of three preselected long term care insurance plans, tailored to them and designed specifically to address their potential needs. All plans include the option of home care, assisted living/residential care and nursing home services along with flexible features designed exclusively for AARP members. Also included is no-cost access to Privileged Care ® Coordination services that help the insured identify the community resources available for his or her long term care.

AARP members have three easy options available to find out more about My Future, My Plan: by scheduling a free, no obligation "readiness review" with an "Authorized to Offer" Genworth Life insurance agent in person, or by calling 800 565.0805, or by visiting genworth.com/aarp for more information about long term care insurance.

My Future, My Plan is one of many products Genworth Life has developed, reflective of American families' varying and ever-growing long term care needs. The company also offers affordable long term care insurance solutions through independent financial advisors.

"Two-thirds of people over age 65 will need long term care in their lifetimes," said Buck Stinson, President, U.S. Insurance Products at Genworth Financial. "The current economic downturn has depleted the nest eggs of many Maryland residents, making it more important than ever to plan ahead for future long term care costs."

Helping American Families Through Education

As an industry pioneer and the largest underwriter of individual long term care insurance for more than one million policyholders, Genworth Life brings a strong commitment to solving our nation's long term care challenges, a reputation for service and a longstanding history of product innovation.  

Since 2005, Genworth has conducted an annual Cost of Care Survey to provide Americans with a clear understanding of the cost of long term care in their area. According to the Genworth 2010 Cost of Care Survey conducted by CareScout ®, the annual cost for a private nursing home room in the U.S. is $75,190, or $206 per day. In Maryland, this cost has risen 3 percent statewide over the last five years. The median annual cost for a private nursing home room in the state of Maryland is $83,585, and ranges from $69,350 in Cumberland to $98,550 in Bethesda. Annual nursing home costs in the states' largest metropolitan areas include $72,088 in Salisbury, $72,088 in the Hagerstown Area and $92,528 in the Baltimore Area.

"Long term care planning is a key consideration as you prepare for your retirement needs," continued Stinson. "By planning ahead, families can potentially save thousands of dollars later should they have a long term care need."

To help families plan and have the right conversations at the right time, Genworth Financial has created the "Let's Talk" national campaign, designed to provide families with the right resources, education and motivation to have valuable conversations and plan for a long life. The centerpiece of the campaign is an interactive Web site (www.caringtalk.com), featuring downloadable long term care guides and information on: ways to break the ice with family members; helpful do's and don'ts; and advice from people who have already been down this path.

About Genworth Financial

Genworth Financial, Inc. is a leading Fortune 500 global financial security company. Genworth employs approximately 6,000 people with a presence in more than 25 countries. Its products and services help meet the investment, protection, retirement and lifestyle needs of more than 15 million customers. Genworth operates through three segments: Retirement and Protection, U.S. Mortgage Insurance and International. Its products and services are offered through financial intermediaries, advisors, independent distributors and sales specialists. Genworth Financial, which traces its roots back to 1871, became a public company in 2004 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. For more information, visit genworth.com. From time to time Genworth releases important information via postings on its corporate website. Accordingly, investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. To sign-up, visit the "Investors" section of genworth.com.

Long term care insurance is underwritten by Genworth Life Insurance Company, and in New York, Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York, Administrative Offices: Richmond, Virginia. Coverage may not be available in all states.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

About AARP Services Inc.

AARP Services Inc., founded in 1999, is a wholly-owned taxable subsidiary of AARP. AARP Services manages the provider relationships for and performs quality control oversight of the wide range of products and services that carry the AARP name and are made available by independent providers as benefits to AARP's millions of members.  The provider offers currently span health products, travel and leisure products, and life event services. Specific products include Medicare supplemental insurance; member discounts on rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and lodging; special offers on technology and gifts; pharmacy services; legal services; and long-term care insurance. AARP Services also engages in new product development activities for AARP and provides certain consulting services to outside companies.  In 2005, AARP Services founded AARP Financial Inc., a wholly-owned taxable subsidiary that manages the provider relationships for and performs quality control oversight for the financial products that carry the AARP name, including credit cards, auto and home, mobile home and motorcycle insurance, and life insurance and annuities.  AARP Financial also provides access to proprietary investment products and services, including mutual funds and financial guidance, designed to meet the needs of investors at any life stage.

SOURCE Genworth Financial