Colorado LTC Training: The 16-Hour Initial Requirement and 5-Hour Biennial Refresher

Colorado imposes the most structured long-term care training requirement of any of its specialty CE prerequisites. Before selling a single LTC policy, a producer must complete a 16-hour initial training program. After that, to continue selling LTC, the producer must complete a 5-hour ongoing refresher course every 2 calendar years from the initial completion date — for as long as they continue transacting LTC business. Neither the initial 16 hours nor the ongoing 5 hours can be completed through any format — the Partnership-specific components carry a mandatory classroom or live webinar delivery requirement that does not apply to most other Colorado CE. This post covers every rule, every format requirement, the Colorado LTC Partnership program that drives the classroom mandate, how the hours interact with biennial CE, and the non-resident rules that differ from the annuity training reciprocity framework.

Why Colorado's LTC Training Is More Stringent Than Other Specialty Prerequisites

The annuity best interest training is 4 hours, one-time, completable online. The NFIP training is 3 hours, one-time, online. The claims-made training is 2 hours, one-time, online. Colorado's LTC training is 16 hours initial plus 5 hours every 2 years, with mandatory classroom delivery for specific components. The difference in scale and structure reflects the difference in regulatory complexity.

Long-term care insurance in Colorado operates within a dual framework: standard private LTC coverage AND the Colorado Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Program. The Partnership program is a collaboration between the Colorado Division of Insurance and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance (the state Medicaid agency) created under the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Partnership policies offer a consumer benefit that standard LTC policies do not: policyholders who exhaust their Partnership LTC benefits can qualify for Medicaid at a more favorable asset level than standard Medicaid eligibility rules would otherwise allow — a feature known as asset disregard or dollar-for-dollar asset protection.

Because Partnership policies interact directly with Colorado's Medicaid program, the Division of Insurance requires that producers selling LTC in Colorado understand not just the insurance product but also how it connects to Medicaid eligibility — a topic that standard insurance prelicensing and general CE does not cover. The mandatory classroom component for the Partnership-specific 8 hours of initial training exists specifically to ensure that producers receive interactive instruction on the Medicaid interface, Partnership policy requirements, and the consumer disclosures required for Partnership policies — content complex enough that the Division requires live instruction rather than self-paced reading.

The 16-Hour Initial Training: Structure and Format Rules

The 16-hour initial LTC training must be completed before selling, soliciting, or negotiating any LTC product in Colorado. It divides into two 8-hour components with different format requirements:

Part 1: 8 Hours of General Long-Term Care Training

Format: Online self-study, classroom, or live webinar — producer's choice. This component may be completed at the producer's own pace through an approved online course with a final exam, or in a scheduled live classroom or webinar setting.

Content covered (per Colorado DOI Bulletin B-1.20 and the NAIC LTC Model Act training outline):

Introduction to long-term care — what LTC is, why it exists as a coverage category, the demographic drivers (aging population, longevity risk, rising care costs), and the historical context of LTC insurance development

Levels of care — skilled nursing care (most intensive; 24-hour licensed nursing); intermediate nursing care; custodial care (most common LTC setting; assists with ADLs; NOT covered by Medicare or standard health insurance); home health care; adult day care; assisted living facilities; continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs)

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) — bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, and continence; LTC benefit eligibility typically requires inability to perform 2 of 6 ADLs without substantial assistance, or severe cognitive impairment

Medicare vs. LTC coverage — Medicare's very limited skilled nursing facility benefit (maximum 100 days after a qualifying 3-day hospital stay, with significant daily copays after day 20); Medicare does not cover custodial care; Medigap does not fill the custodial care gap; the distinction between what Medicare covers and what LTC insurance covers

Medicaid and LTC — Medicaid's role as the primary payer for custodial nursing home care for Coloradans who have exhausted their assets; the spend-down process; how LTC insurance delays or prevents the need for Medicaid

LTC policy basics — elimination periods; benefit periods; daily or monthly benefit amounts; inflation protection options; nonforfeiture benefits; return of premium riders; the importance of purchasing LTC coverage before health conditions make underwriting difficult

Tax treatment — tax-qualified (TQ) vs. non-tax-qualified (NTQ) LTC policies; deductibility of premiums for TQ policies (subject to age-based limits); tax-free treatment of benefits from TQ policies; employer-sponsored LTC

Underwriting concepts — field underwriting in LTC; conditions that typically result in declination; the importance of completing a thorough health history with applicants; replacement considerations in LTC (additional scrutiny because replacing LTC mid-life may reset health underwriting)

NAIC LTC Model Act and Regulation — required policy provisions; consumer protections; required disclosures; the role of the Division of Insurance in LTC market oversight

Part 2: 8 Hours of Colorado LTC Partnership-Specific Training

Format: MANDATORY classroom or live webinar only. This component cannot be completed through online self-study. The Division of Insurance requires live instruction — either in-person at a scheduled classroom session or via synchronous live webinar with an instructor present and able to respond to questions in real time. A recorded webinar does not satisfy the requirement; the session must be live.

Content covered (per Colorado DOI Bulletin B-1.20, Chapter 3 and Chapter 7 of the LTC training curriculum):

The Colorado LTC Partnership Program — history, purpose, and statutory basis; the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and its authorization of Partnership programs in all states; how the Colorado Partnership works

Asset disregard (dollar-for-dollar protection) — the core Partnership benefit: for every dollar of LTC insurance benefits paid under a qualifying Partnership policy, one dollar of the policyholder's assets is protected from Medicaid spend-down. Example: a policyholder who receives $300,000 in Partnership LTC benefits can protect $300,000 in assets when applying for Medicaid — meaning they do not need to spend those assets down to the standard Medicaid asset limit before qualifying

Partnership policy qualification requirements — not every LTC policy qualifies as a Partnership policy; specific inflation protection standards apply based on the insured's age at purchase; policies must include required consumer disclosures; carriers must be authorized to offer Partnership policies in Colorado

Inflation protection requirements for Partnership policies — the required inflation protection level varies by the insured's age at the time of purchase: producers selling Partnership policies must understand which inflation protection options qualify and which do not

Relationship between the Division of Insurance and the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance — the regulatory dual-agency structure; how the two agencies coordinate on Partnership program oversight; reporting requirements

Consumer disclosures specific to Partnership policies — the Partnership disclosure form; what must be explained to consumers about how asset protection works; the record-keeping and reporting requirements that apply to Partnership policy sales

Reciprocity between states — if a policyholder moves from Colorado to another Partnership state, how their earned asset protection may be recognized (subject to the receiving state's rules); the limitations of interstate Partnership reciprocity

Practical scenarios — applying Partnership rules to real client situations; comparing Partnership and non-Partnership LTC options for specific client profiles; identifying when a Partnership policy is and is not appropriate

Sequencing the Two Components

The two components may be completed in either order — general LTC first or Partnership-specific first — though most course providers and the DOI bulletin suggest completing the 8-hour general LTC content before the 8-hour Partnership content, since the Partnership content builds on foundational LTC knowledge. Some carriers offer the full 16-hour training as a combined two-day program; others offer the two components as separate courses that must each be scheduled independently.

The 16-Hour Certification Exam

Some approved LTC training providers administer a certification exam at the completion of the 16-hour training. Where required by the provider, a passing score (typically 70%) must be achieved to receive credit for the training. Classroom and webinar components generally do not require a separate exam for the live portions — attendance and participation are the basis for credit. The online general LTC component typically does require a final exam consistent with Colorado's self-study CE rules.

The 5-Hour Ongoing Refresher: Every 24 Calendar Months

After completing the initial 16-hour training, producers who continue selling LTC products must complete 5 hours of LTC refresher training every 24 calendar months from the date the initial training was completed. The 24-month clock runs from the initial completion date — not from the producer's license renewal date, not from the biennial CE cycle. The two cycles may not align.

Format: MANDATORY classroom or live webinar only. The same format requirement that applies to the 8-hour Partnership component of the initial training applies to every ongoing refresher: live instruction required, no online self-study. A dedicated 5-hour ongoing LTC course must be completed — not the general LTC component or the Partnership component of the initial training repeated.

The Critical Rule That Catches Producers Off Guard

Neither the 8-hour general LTC course alone nor the 8-hour Partnership course alone satisfies the ongoing 5-hour refresher requirement — even if retaken at the 24-month mark. The only exceptions are:

A dedicated 5-hour ongoing LTC refresher course specifically approved for the ongoing training requirement, completed in a classroom or live webinar setting

The complete 16-hour initial training (both components, all 16 hours) retaken together at the 24-month mark — this satisfies the ongoing requirement in lieu of the 5-hour course

Attempting to satisfy the ongoing requirement by retaking only the general LTC 8-hour course, or only the Partnership 8-hour course, does not meet the Colorado DOI's requirement. Producers who take this shortcut and submit for renewal discover the deficiency only when the renewal is rejected — at which point they must locate a scheduled 5-hour ongoing LTC course before they can renew.

Content of the 5-Hour Ongoing Refresher

Approved 5-hour ongoing LTC courses cover updates to LTC products, regulations, and the Colorado Partnership program since the producer's initial training or last refresher. Content typically includes:

Updates to Colorado LTC regulation and DOI guidance since the prior refresher

Changes to Partnership program requirements, inflation protection standards, or reciprocity rules

Current LTC market conditions — carrier market exits, rate increase environment, premium increase patterns, and the implications for producers advising clients on LTC purchase decisions

Current Medicaid rules and how they interact with Partnership coverage in Colorado

LTC policy replacement — current standards, disclosure requirements, and the ethical obligations producers have when recommending replacement of an existing LTC policy

Review of consumer disclosure requirements and agent recordkeeping obligations

How LTC Training Hours Fit Into Biennial CE

Both the initial training hours and the ongoing refresher hours count toward the producer's 24-hour biennial CE requirement, under the Accident & Health or Life major lines category:

The practical CE implication for initial training: In the biennial cycle when you complete the full 16-hour initial LTC training, those 16 hours contribute to your major lines CE total. Since the major lines requirement is only 18 hours, completing the 16-hour LTC initial training satisfies all but 2 hours of your 18-hour major lines obligation in that cycle. You still need 3 ethics hours, 3 miscellaneous hours, and 2 more major lines hours to reach the full 24 — a very manageable balance.

The practical CE implication for the ongoing refresher: In each biennial CE cycle when you complete the 5-hour refresher, those 5 hours apply toward your 18 major lines hours — meaning only 13 additional major lines CE hours are needed to satisfy the full 18-hour requirement. The refresher meaningfully reduces the remaining CE burden in the cycles when it falls.

Important: the 24-month LTC refresher cycle may not align with the biennial CE cycle. If your LTC initial training was completed in March 2023, your first ongoing refresher is due by March 2025, then March 2027, and so on — regardless of when your license renews. Your biennial CE cycle ends on the last day of your birth month in your renewal year. These two cycles run independently. Plan both calendars separately and do not assume the LTC refresher due date falls in the same period as your CE renewal.

Non-Resident Producers: LTC Training Is Not Waived

Non-resident producers are generally exempt from Colorado's biennial CE requirements — they satisfy their home state's CE requirements, and Colorado deems that compliant. LTC training is the explicit exception. Non-resident producers who want to sell LTC products in Colorado must comply with Colorado's LTC training requirements regardless of home state training.

However, reciprocity exists on a different basis than biennial CE: a non-resident producer whose home state LTC training meets the standard of the NAIC LTC Model Act training is deemed compliant with Colorado's LTC training requirement. The key question is whether the home state training included the Partnership-specific component comparable to Colorado's 8-hour Partnership requirement. A standard 8-hour general LTC course completed in a non-Partnership state or in a state with minimal Partnership training content does not necessarily satisfy Colorado's 8-hour Partnership component requirement.

Non-resident producers selling LTC in Colorado should:

Confirm with the Colorado DOI or their carriers whether their home state training satisfies Colorado's Partnership-specific component

If uncertain, complete the Colorado Partnership-specific training to ensure compliance

Maintain documentation of all LTC training completion for record-keeping purposes

Carriers' Separate LTC Product Training Requirement

As with annuity training, the state's LTC training requirement and the carrier's product-specific LTC training are two separate, independently required obligations. Completing Colorado's 16-hour initial LTC training certifies to the state that the producer understands general LTC insurance and the Colorado Partnership program. It does not satisfy any carrier's requirement for training on that carrier's specific LTC products.

Carriers whose LTC products the producer wants to sell will require separate product-specific training covering that carrier's policy forms, underwriting guidelines, rate structures, inflation protection options, and sales procedures. Carriers must maintain records of producer LTC training — both the state general training and the carrier's own product training — to satisfy their obligations under the Colorado Partnership program and the DOI's regulatory requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

I completed the 16-hour initial LTC training four years ago but have not completed the 5-hour refresher. Can I still sell LTC products in Colorado?

No. Once you complete the initial 16-hour training, you must complete the 5-hour ongoing refresher within 24 calendar months of your initial completion date — and every 24 calendar months thereafter — to maintain authorization to sell LTC products. If you are past the 24-month mark without completing the refresher, you are not in compliance with Colorado's LTC training requirements and should not be selling LTC products until you complete an approved 5-hour refresher course in a classroom or live webinar setting. There is no grace period, and there is no administrative shortcut. Complete the refresher immediately and document the completion before transacting any further LTC business.

I completed a 16-hour LTC course in another state before moving to Colorado. Does that satisfy Colorado's initial training requirement?

It depends on whether your training meets the standard of the NAIC LTC Model Act training and specifically whether it included content substantially equivalent to Colorado's 8-hour Partnership component. A standard 8-hour general LTC course from another state, without Partnership-specific content, does not satisfy the Colorado requirement on its own. If your prior state training included both general LTC and Partnership program content comparable in scope to Colorado's curriculum, contact the Colorado Division of Insurance at (303) 894-7499 to request a determination on whether the training is deemed compliant. Do not assume reciprocity without confirmation — particularly for the Partnership component, where state-specific content varies significantly.

The 8-hour Partnership course must be taken in a classroom or live webinar. What qualifies as a live webinar — can I watch a recorded session?

No. A recorded webinar does not satisfy the classroom or live webinar requirement. A live webinar must be conducted in real time with an instructor present who can answer questions from participants during the session. The defining characteristic is synchronous delivery — you attend at a scheduled time, the instructor is live, and interaction is possible even if you do not personally ask questions. A pre-recorded video or on-demand webinar, regardless of production quality or content depth, does not meet the standard. If you are uncertain whether a specific online session qualifies as a live webinar for Colorado's purposes, confirm with the provider before enrolling that the session is synchronous and that the instructor is available in real time during delivery.

My LTC refresher was due in February and my CE renewal is in September. How do I track both deadlines without letting one slip?

Track them as two separate calendar items with two separate compliance dates. The LTC refresher deadline runs from your initial training completion date — it is not tied to your license renewal date or biennial CE cycle. A practical system: create a recurring 24-month reminder from the date you completed your initial LTC training, and a separate annual reminder 90 days before your license renewal month. When the LTC refresher reminder triggers, schedule the 5-hour course immediately — classroom and live webinar sessions for the ongoing LTC refresher are less frequently scheduled than online self-study courses, which means seats can be limited and advance registration is often required. Do not wait until the week before your LTC deadline to find a scheduled session.

Does the 5-hour LTC refresher satisfy the biennial CE requirement for my A&H line, or is it additional on top of the 24 hours?

The 5-hour ongoing refresher counts toward your 24-hour biennial CE requirement as major lines CE — it is not additional on top of the 24 hours. In the biennial cycles where your 5-hour refresher falls, those 5 hours reduce your remaining major lines CE obligation from 18 hours to 13 hours. You still need 3 ethics hours, 3 miscellaneous hours, and 13 additional major lines hours to complete the full 24-hour requirement. The LTC training is integrated into your CE total, not stacked on top of it — though the LTC refresher's 24-month cycle and your biennial CE cycle run independently and may produce years where the refresher falls and years where it does not, creating some variation in how your CE hours break down from cycle to cycle.

Colorado's LTC training framework is the most structured specialty training obligation in the state's producer regulatory system — reflecting both the complexity of the product and its direct connection to Medicaid planning through the Partnership program. Producers who enter the LTC market with the full 16-hour initial training and maintain the biennial refresher consistently are equipped to serve clients navigating one of the most consequential financial planning decisions of their later years.

Visit JustInsurance to enroll today and complete your Colorado LTC initial training and ongoing refresher requirements with state-approved courses that satisfy both the general and Partnership components.