“You may not have saved a lot of money in your life, but if you saved a lot of heartaches for other folks, you are a pretty rich man.”—Seth Parker
My prejudices and biases expressed repeatedly in this column concerning those who have chosen to make a difference in blunting the full force of chronic care are if nothing else well documented. However, I am not sure I have adequately expressed the well from which I continue to draw my eternal optimism and blind faith that we will get this done. It is simply because it has been my privilege and honor to know and hopefully help represent those who have chosen to stand up and confront what we believe constitutes America’s greatest threat to retirement security and financial peace of mind. It requires being stated once again: “The common denominator for all LTCI specialists is the fervent and emotional degree to which they care about protecting others.” The only counting that was ever done was not based on premium but how many we had been able to shield from the storm which we know is approaching.
A deeper examination of one of these courageous volunteers in a cause that has never received the popularity or recognition that it deserves is perhaps in order. For all those who rise each day and explain again and again the need for long term care planning and intentionally choose to not leave the playing field without emphasizing its importance (if not making it the starting point of every conversation).
L. Nicholas Hogan left the front lines of our struggle December 29, 2016. He, like so many in our small cadre of dedicated soldiers, never retreated from the challenge to save as many as time and circumstance would allow. He chose each day to defend the honor of our chosen line of attack. He never wavered in what he clearly saw as his duty and responsibility to help others. Because he was a close and dear friend, I know this was true of both his personal life and professional career. My respect for his character and stamina in the face of adversity is in every measurable way “huge”. My relationship with Nick and so many more in “The Profession of LTC Risk Management” is structured by a long and truly positive history. Every month for the last 14 years I have talked about the importance of what we do, but not nearly enough about those brave souls who rise each morning to confront denial, intransigence, inertia and cosmic lack of forethought. I have been continually re-inspired by the camaraderie and friendships of so many who simply refuse to quit! Just in case you haven’t noticed, the last ten years in LTCI have been rugged—particularly for those who chose early on to focus all their efforts on a new and frankly somewhat experimental attempt to manage the risks of a claim that was clearly not yet fully understood. Folks like Nick didn’t just build an agency, they helped create a movement. They have helped recruit and train a new and dedicated field force where none existed. Folks like Nick have repeatedly risen from their seats to walk to the front of the room and teach! Folks like Nick never stop educating and training agents and consumers. Folks like Nick don’t just teach CE, they create the courses as they go. Folks like Nick have never hesitated to proudly and loudly (Nick was a little hard of hearing although as he often explained it was really only in one ear) proclaim what they do for a living.
Nick Hogan began his crusade before HIPAA and the advent of the modern tax-qualified comprehensive LTCI policy. Like so many of my great friends in our corner of insurance protection, Nick was there at the beginning, chose to face the challenge head on and then chose to saddle up for what he knew would be a long and tough ride. Folks like Nick never fell off, and even if they did they would then immediately get back up on the horse.
Folks like Nick never hesitate to volunteer to help because folks like Nick continually contribute their time and creativity willingly and enthusiastically. Nick was a frequent author in industry publications including Broker World. Folks like Nick are always prepared to share in the responsibility of representing our intrinsically understood brokerage wholesale philosophy. Nick served as president of Diversified Marketing Group for multiple terms, constantly inspiring his colleagues to help paint the LTCI fence.
I’m not sure this column is the place for an individual memorial—I therefore wanted this column to be about “folks like Nick”. But for his wife Karen, daughter Elizabeth, and son Ryan who has chosen to keep the flag flying, my most sincere condolences. I must acknowledge what constitutes a catastrophic loss to all those other folks like Nick. To a friend and fellow compatriot—
“I can no other answer make but, thanks and thanks.”—Shakespeare.
