Traditional LTC Insurance
Best for: Healthy applicants planning 10+ years ahead who want dedicated, tax-advantaged LTC coverage.
The Core Framework
The 10 Funding Pillars
There are ten ways to fund long-term care in the United States. Most families end up combining two or three, not choosing just one. This page is the map — each pillar links to a full breakdown of who it fits, how it works, and where it runs into limits.
Browse all 10 funding pillars
The pillars aren't ranked by quality — they're ranked by fit. Age, health, timing, assets, marital status, veteran status, and home ownership all determine which of these ten are actually open to you right now.
Hybrid Life / LTC (Asset-Based)
Best for: Those with a lump sum to reposition who want a benefit either way — for care or for heirs.
LTC Annuity
Best for: Moderate-health applicants who cannot pass traditional underwriting but have a lump sum available.
Medicare & Skilled-Need Coverage
Best for: Every Medicare-eligible person, as a starting point — but not a long-term care funding plan on its own.
Medicaid (Baseline)
Best for: Applicants whose countable assets are already at or near the Medicaid limit, or who have completed a spend-down.
Advance Medicaid Planning
Best for: Families with a 5+ year runway who want to protect wealth while it's still healthy and early enough to plan.
Crisis Planning / Half-a-Loaf
Best for: Families facing an imminent care need with assets still exposed — the goal is preserving 40–60% rather than the whole estate.
VA Aid & Attendance
Best for: Any wartime veteran or their surviving spouse who needs help with ADLs and meets net-worth and medical-expense rules.
Private Pay
Best for: Every family, eventually. The question is how long private pay lasts and in what order assets are spent.
The Home
Best for: Homeowners where the home itself is part of the financial and caregiving equation — especially when the decision-maker lives far away.
The Fastest Way to Know
Not sure which pillars apply?
Not sure which pillars apply?
Let the assessment tell you.
The Journey Assessment asks about your situation, timing, health, assets, home, and veteran status — then ranks all ten pillars and tells you which three are actually worth your time.