Pennsylvania insurance regulators have proposed new training requirements for agents who want to sell long-term care insurance products in the state.

The proposed rules, published in late December and open to public comment through Jan. 26, would apply to agents selling long-term care insurance in the state. The rules could still undergo changes, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department said.

Life and health agents selling LTC products would have to complete at least eight hours of training in long-term care insurance topics, according to the proposal. This training would be in addition to existing continuing education requirements, PID officials said.

To renew licenses, agents would have to complete four hours of additional long-term care insurance training in every two-year licensing cycle.

Training would address long-term care insurance, long-term care services and qualified state long-term care insurance partnership policies, and should address state and federal regulations and requirements, as well as the relationship between qualified state partnership policies and other public and private coverage options, including Medicaid.

Training also may include available providers and services, changes or improvements in providers and services, alternatives to private long-term care insurance and the effect of inflation on benefits and the importance of inflation protection, according to the rules.

As part of the initial eight-hour training requirement, agents would have to complete a one-hour Pennsylvania-specific course related to the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid).

Insurance companies that offer long-term care insurance products in Pennsylvania would be required under the proposed rules to obtain proof that agents have completed training before permitting them to sell long-term care products and to keep records of this proof.

This story originally appeared in the February 2010 print edition of Insurance & Financial Advisor.