Long-Term Care
Long-Term Care: Protecting Your Comfort, Dignity, and FamilyNone of us likes to imagine when we might need help with everyday activities—like dressing, bathing, or simply getting around the house. But the truth is, about 70% of people over age 65 will need some form of long-term care during their lives. This kind of care can last months or even years, and while it’s essential for maintaining dignity and quality of life, Medicare does not cover most long-term care costs. For many families, this comes as a painful surprise—right when they’re already dealing with the stress of illness or aging.
What Medicare Covers — and What It Doesn’t Medicare's coverage for ongoing, personal care is very limited. It will pay for short-term skilled nursing, certain types of rehabilitation, and brief stays in a skilled nursing facility—but only under specific conditions:
-- Coverage is short-term and tied to recovery after hospitalization—typically up to 100 days. -- It doesn’t cover ongoing help with daily tasks like cooking, bathing, or getting dressed.
-- It does not pay for extended stays in assisted living or nursing homes unless those stays are for skilled medical care.
In short, Medicare helps for a little while—but not for the kind of long-term support most older adults eventually need.
National Median Monthly Costs for 2025
Home health aide -- 44 hours per week: $5,000–$6,000/month
Assisted living facility: $4,500–$5,500/month
Private room in nursing home: $9,000–$11,000/month
How Long-Term Care Insurance Can Help
Long-term care insurance provides funds to pay for care at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility—on your terms. Here’s how it works:
Benefits begin once you can’t perform two Activities of Daily Living—such as bathing, eating, dressing—or if you have a cognitive condition.
Flexibility of Care – You can choose coverage that includes home health aides, adult day care, assisted living, and nursing homes.
Benefit Amount & Length – You decide the daily or monthly amount the policy pays and for how long -- 3 years, 5 years, or lifetime.
Elimination Period before you are eligible for benefits -- usually 30–90 days.
Premiums are based on your age, health, benefit levels, and whether you include inflation protection so your coverage grows over time.
Long-term care planning protects savings and relationships. Without a plan, loved ones often carry the physical, emotional, and financial burden of providing care. With a plan, you can preserve your independence and dignity, and your family’s peace of mind.