§1575. Producer training requirements to sell long-term care insurance

A.(1) An individual shall not sell, solicit or negotiate long-term care insurance unless the individual is licensed as an insurance producer for health and accident or life and has completed a one-time training course. The training shall meet the requirements set forth in Subsection B of this Section.

(2) An individual already licensed and selling, soliciting or negotiating long-term care insurance on August 15, 2010 may not continue to sell, solicit or negotiate long-term care insurance unless the individual has completed a one-time training course as set forth in Subsection B of this Section within one year from August 15, 2010.

(3) In addition to the one-time training course required in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection, an individual who sells, solicits or negotiates long-term care insurance shall complete ongoing training as set forth in Subsection B of this Section.

(4) The training requirements of Subsection B of this Section may be approved as continuing education courses under R.S. 22:1573.

B.(1) The one-time training required by this Section shall be no less than eight hours and the ongoing training required by this Section shall be no less than four hours every two years.

(2) The training required under Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall consist of topics related to long-term care insurance, long-term care services and, if applicable, qualified state long-term care insurance partnership programs, including but not limited to:

(a) State and federal regulations and requirements and the relationship between qualified state long-term care insurance partnership programs and other public and private coverage of long-term care services, including Medicaid.

(b) Available long-term services and providers.

(c) Changes or improvements in long-term care services or providers.

(d) Alternatives to the purchase of private long-term care insurance.

(e) The effect of inflation on benefits and the importance of inflation protection.

(f) Consumer suitability standards and guidelines.

(3) The training required by this Section shall not include training that is insurer or company product specific or that includes any sales or marketing information, materials, or training, other than those required by state or federal law.

C.(1) Insurers shall obtain verification that a producer receives training required by Subsection A of this Section before a producer is permitted to sell, solicit or negotiate the insurer's long-term care insurance products, maintain records subject to the state's record retention requirements, and make such verification available to the commissioner upon request.

(2) Insurers shall maintain records with respect to the training of its producers concerning the distribution of its partnership policies that will allow the state insurance department to provide assurance to the state Medicaid agency that producers have received the training contained in Subparagraph (B)(2)(a) of this Section as required by Subsection A of this Section and that producers have demonstrated an understanding of the partnership policies and their relationship to public and private coverage of long-term care, including Medicaid, in this state. These records shall be maintained in accordance with the state's record retention requirements and shall be made available to the commissioner upon request.

D. The satisfaction of such training requirements in any state shall be deemed to satisfy the training requirements in this state.

Acts 2010, No. 967, §1; Acts 2011, No. 94, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2012.