In a move that reveals the tasks that most financial advisors leave to others—like helping clients find an affordable nursing home for elderly parents, resolving healthcare issues and accessing counseling services—Nationwide has decided to share its employee assistance program with some of its variable annuity customers.
Starting July 24, new and existing owners of certain Nationwide variable annuity contracts will have access to a free, around-the-clock service that will provide “guidance on many of the complex questions and issues that can come up in retirement,” the Columbus, Ohio-based insurer announced this week.
The program, called Nationwide Care Concierge service, extends the benefits Nationwide associates currently receive, such as health advocacy, counseling and access to legal services, to members of select Nationwide variable annuity products, including Destination Navigator 2.0, Destination All American Gold 2.0, Destination Architect 2.0 and Destination Freedom+.
West’s Health Advocate Solutions, a leading clinical healthcare advocacy provider, will administer the Care Concierge service. It is estimated that Care Concierge will initially be available to 25,000 members, increasing to more than 30,000 members by the end of the first year. In addition to contract owners, the program extends to their spouses, dependent children, parents and parents-in-law. http://www.healthadvocate.com/site/
Members’ new benefits include:
- Help for members who are turning age 65 as they navigate the Medicare system
- Find doctors or specialists and make appointments
- Research and review medical treatment options
- Help with arranging care for aging parents or adult children
- Counseling services to help with personal issues, life transitions or grief after the passing of a loved one
- Managing health insurance claims and billing issues
- Access to legal services for help with minor legal questions and issues
- Concierge services for vacation or event planning, entertainment recommendations, gift ideas and more
“Health Advocate is an industry leader in health care advocacy serving over 50 million lives,” said Eric Henderson, senior vice president of Nationwide’s annuity and life insurance businesses, in a release. “We trust them with our own associates as we have a current partnership with them as an associate benefit, and we trust them with our members.”
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