Short & Long Term Care
We Offer Modern Solutions for Funding Long-Term Care
Traditional long-term-care (LTC) insurance is still available today and can be a good planning solution in some situations. Long-term care can also be funded through modern insurance products, including hybrid life insurance and annuity policies. Some of these options may be more affordable or have less restrictive medical underwriting.
What does LTC cost?
The cost of long-term care varies depending on the type of assistance needed and where care is provided. According to the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey, the national median cost was approximately $80,080 per year for full-time in-home care, $74,400 for an assisted-living community, and between $114,975 and $129,575 for a semi-private or private room in a nursing home. Because these expenses can quickly affect retirement savings, planning before care is needed can help families protect their finances and maintain more choices.
Source: CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey
Planning for the Cost of Long-Term Care
Because long-term care can be expensive, most families rely on a combination of personal savings, retirement income, unpaid help from family members, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, and private insurance. Medicare provides only limited coverage for certain skilled services and generally does not pay for ongoing custodial care. Fortunately, today’s planning options extend beyond traditional long-term-care insurance. Life insurance with long-term-care benefits, hybrid policies, and certain annuities can provide additional ways to prepare for future care while helping protect retirement savings and family assets. The right solution depends on your age, health, financial resources, and the type of protection you want.
A Better Way to Plan
for Long-Term Care
Explore modern solutions designed to help protect your savings and preserve your choices.
Schedule a ConsultationUnderstanding Your Long-Term Care Options
Long-term care can be funded in several ways, and no single solution is appropriate for everyone. The right approach depends on your health, age, income, assets, family support, and how much financial risk you are comfortable retaining.
Personal Savings
Some individuals choose to pay for care from retirement income, savings, investments, or home equity. This provides flexibility, but an extended period of care can place considerable pressure on retirement assets and may affect the money available for a spouse or family.
Medicaid
Medicaid is the largest public payer of long-term care, but it is intended for people who meet medical and financial eligibility requirements. Many middle-income families will not initially qualify and may need to use a substantial portion of their own assets before becoming eligible. Covered services, care settings, and provider choices may also be limited by state rules and program availability.
Traditional Long-Term-Care Insurance
Traditional long-term-care insurance can provide substantial benefits for care received at home or in a facility. It may be especially valuable for individuals with significant assets who want to protect their retirement savings or estate. However, premiums can be expensive, medical underwriting may be difficult, and policyholders could experience premium increases in the future.
Life Insurance and Annuity-Based Benefits
Certain life insurance policies allow a portion of the death benefit to be used for qualifying long-term care. Some annuities offer riders that increase the income or benefit amount available during a qualifying period of care. These products can provide valuable protection, but they generally require a larger premium or deposit and include their own benefit limitations and eligibility requirements.
A More Affordable Short-Term Care Option
Short-term care insurance can provide a practical middle ground for people who do not qualify for Medicaid, cannot obtain traditional long-term-care insurance, or do not want to pay the higher premiums associated with broader coverage. Plans may provide benefits for 90, 180, 270, or 364 days and generally offer more flexible medical underwriting because the insurance company’s potential commitment is limited. Depending on the policy, benefits may be used for qualifying care received in a nursing or skilled-care facility, an assisted-living community, or your own home. Benefits generally become available when you require assistance with at least two activities of daily living, subject to the policy’s eligibility requirements and elimination period. These plans do not cover every possible long-term-care need, but they can provide meaningful protection against the immediate cost of care at a substantially lower monthly premium than many traditional policies. They are the type of coverage I recommend most frequently during consultations—and the protection I chose for myself.
Schedule a ConsultationCould Short-Term Care Insurance Be Right for You?
Is Short-Term Care Insurance More Affordable?
Short-term care plans generally have lower monthly premiums than traditional long-term-care insurance because benefits are provided for a limited period. Plans may offer coverage for 90, 180, 270, or 364 days, allowing you to select an amount of protection that better fits your needs and budget.
Is it easier to qualify?
Short-term care plans generally have more flexible medical underwriting than traditional long-term-care insurance because the insurance company’s potential benefit commitment is smaller. This may allow some individuals with existing health conditions to obtain coverage when they may not qualify for a traditional policy. Approval is not guaranteed and depends on the insurance company’s underwriting requirements.
Where can the benefits be used?
Depending on the policy, benefits may be available for qualifying care received in a nursing or skilled-care facility, an assisted-living community, or your own home. This flexibility can help you receive care in the setting that is most appropriate for your needs rather than limiting protection to a nursing-home stay.
When do benefits become available?
Benefits generally become available when the insured requires assistance with at least two activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, transferring, toileting, or maintaining continence. The insured may also need to satisfy an elimination period before benefits begin. Exact benefit triggers and waiting periods vary by policy.
What are the limitations?
Short-term care insurance provides benefits for a limited number of days and may not cover an extended care need lasting several years. Benefit amounts, covered services, elimination periods, exclusions, and eligibility requirements vary by plan. We review these provisions with you so you understand both the protection the plan provides and the financial risk you would continue to retain.
Why This Coverage Matters to Me
I carry short-term care coverage myself and recommended it to my own mother. When she needed care, her policy helped provide the support that allowed her to remain at home and spend her final days in her own bed rather than moving into a nursing facility. That experience is one reason I believe every family should understand the options available before care is needed.
— Robin Lee, Owner and Licensed Insurance Agent