The other day, the federal government released a headline grabbing report: The average out-of-pocket cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 is about $234,000. Among families where an older adult has severe long-term care needs and uses paid care, out-of-pocket costs average $140,000, according to research by my Urban Institute colleague Melissa Favreault. That enormous cost is generally spread over much less time, typically four years in contrast to 17.
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Testimonials
Tobe is my trustworthy “go to” person for long term care insurance. Ten years ago, when my spouse I considered buying Long Term Care insurance, she guided us with her extensive insurance product knowledge and demonstrated her commitment by finding the best insurance value for our needs. I highly recommend her.
Dennis StoneNorman, OK
Tobe Gerard is THE expert regarding LTC insurance! In the nature of my job, I work with several dozens financial advisors/wealth advisors; all top notch. I wholeheartedly recommend Tobe for LTC advice, contract review, and group policies. Based on my observations, most of the aforesaid advisers also call on Tobe for similar help…despite the fact that many of their firms can offer LTC products! Tobe is simply that reputable in her niche area. Tobe is also a wonderful person who deeply cares about her clients, referral sources, and those around her. I cannot recommend Tobe highly enough.
Joe Chatham
I have had the good fortune of knowing and working with Tobe Gerard for over 15 years. It is rare to find someone who possesses a solid level of technical proficiency with a passion to do what is right for her customers. She truly does care about her customers. Recently I bought an LTC policy from Tobe even though I live 250 miles away! I am proud to call her my agent!
Curt Pearsall Whitesboro, NY
I want to thank Tobe Gerard for her devoted patience and guidance throughout our time together in securing a LTCI policy for me. She was extremely knowledgeable about all of the different types of policies that were available in the market today. She was always very responsive to all of the follow-up questions that I might have had. 6 years prior I had been introduced to Tobe through my financial provider. Many of his clients, including himself, were LTCI policy holders through Tobe and her team. At that point in time, life had seemed to have gotten in the way and I didn’t secure a policy, but I had not forgotten her efforts in presenting all of the different options to me back then. Moving forward 6 years, I had a very close family member that was going through a medical situation and there was no LTCI policy. I can tell you through this experience that it wasn’t pleasant finding out that traditional medical insurance does not provide many of the securities that one might need in the future. this experience was the immediate reason that I reached out to Tobe again. From start to finish the process was very easy. We had a few meetings together to start the process. Then there was the research stage where we talked about the various options. I had some questions that came along and Tobe answered them all. With Tobe’s guidance we looked at which policies could fit my situation best and I decided upon one. Once Tobe delivered the policy it produced a feeling of great happiness and security knowing that I was adding this layer of protection for me and my family. I truly recommend Tobe Gerard with all of your long term care needs. Thx Tobe…
Kevin DonaseFoxboro, MA
You have completed your job in helping us with LTC insurance. And so, I want to thank you for your help. You have been just wonderful – very professional, efficient, clear, and with a human touch and a heart. One cannot count on all of that from the professionals we work with. We are thoroughly satisfied with your work on our behalf. We will be happy to recommend you to others.
Dr. and Mrs. P. DNewton, MA
Tobe was a pleasure to work with right from the beginning. She quickly responded to our initial outreach by visiting us to understand our needs and to provide us with educational material so that we could begin the process of learning about long-term care insurance. She demonstrated boundless patience (!) and maintained her sense of humor with our endless myriad questions and concerns, always making time to talk until we felt we had come to the best decision. She was very accommodating and her willingness to chat by phone or via email as many times as we needed was above and beyond, often responding off-hours. Tobe was invested in making sure we were well informed and did her best to research any questions she could not answer right away. Tobe is a wonderful educator. Her clarity and thoroughness enables her to explain concepts in a very clear and concise manner; she made what could be a daunting menu of benefits and combinations easily discernible. She was honest and forthright when she felt we were going astray or looking at aspects of policies that may not be in our best interest. At the same time, she was always respectful of our particular concerns, needs, preferences and hesitations. Understanding the nuances of the products and benefits and helping us to foresee the future while making us comfortable with our decisions (so that we could finally make a decision!) is what we appreciated most. She shared her history with the long term care insurance industry in such a way that we felt comfortable navigating the news stories, others’ skepticism, and our own fears about making such a long term financial commitment. Ultimately, with Tobe’s professional and skilled guidance, we were able to confidently choose a policy that seems like the right fit for us.
Deborah Issokson and Liane BrombergHull, MA
Tobe was an absolute delight to work with. She was a consummate professional who provided me with a comprehensive summary of Long Term Care insurance, including an honest assessment of which company, program and policy features AND benefits might work best for our family. She was a wealth of information, responsive to my many questions, and patient as I researched Long Term Care Insurance and ultimately purchased a policy. I’m glad I did, and am so pleased that I purchased it through Tobe Gerard Insurance, LLC!
Rob WarnerMarblehead, MA
Tobe Gerard listens, cares, and wants the very best for you. We think the best of her as she has demonstrated her best with and for us. End-of-time planning requires sensitive and professional management. Tobe has the gifts and the talent for making these plans a reality.
Reverend and Mrs. John F. RiceBass River, MA
What a stroke of luck and providence that my financial advisor suggested I talk to you about my mother’s Long Term Care Insurance. As an attorney, I have been dealing with insurance for thirty years. However, I never had experience with Long Term Care Insurance. I have come to appreciate your advice and expertise over these last several months.
Albert E. Clark, Attorney at LawSavannah GA
Long term care insurance was the furthest thing from my mind before an estate planner recommended that my husband and I consider it in order to protect our assets if we ever needed long term care. I wasn’t keen on imagining myself in a situation that would require long term care, but just to cover all bases, we met with Tobe — and then put off thinking about it for another year. At that time, Tobe made me aware of changes in various company policies that impacted women and the type of coverage I might want. I decided to apply and she guided me through myriad questions in a clear, timely, and thorough way, never being directive about particular companies, always focused on listening to what was most important to me. The application process can be difficult at various points – it can seem as if your health is called into question as you make your way through endless checklists of symptoms – but Tobe kept it upbeat, gave good guidance, and actually made it pleasant. When the process was complete and I had my policy in hand, I was sorry we had to part ways. In short, Tobe is terrific and great to work with – I would highly recommend her to anyone purchasing a policy or even to someone simply wanting to explore why LTCI might be a good idea.
An anonymous but grateful clientNewton, MA.