There are 10 main ways families pay for long-term care. These 20 questions help you see which ones fit before you commit to any of them.

Short answer: The right mix of funding depends on your health, income, assets, home, timeline and family. Ask these 20 questions before you commit to any one option, then take the Journey Assessment to see which of the 10 funding pillars fit your situation.

Risk and need

1. How likely is it that we will need long-term care, and for how long?

Almost 70% of people turning 65 will need some long-term care. Women need it for about 3.7 years on average and men for 2.2 years (ACL). That's the span your plan has to cover.

2. Which chronic conditions in our health or family history make care more likely?

Dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease tend to mean longer, more expensive care. The Dependency Series explains how the 12 most common conditions progress.

3. What does care cost in our state, at home, in assisted living and in a nursing home?

National 2025 medians were $129,575 a year for a private nursing home room, $74,400 for assisted living and $35 an hour for in-home care (CareScout). Look up your state in our state cost-of-care pages.

4. What will Medicare, a Medicare Supplement or our health insurance really pay?

Only short-term skilled care after a qualifying hospital stay, not ongoing custodial care (Medicare.gov). See the Medicare & Skilled-Need Coverage pillar.

Insurance costs

5. What would long-term care insurance cost at our ages and health, and what sets the price?

In 2026, $165,000 of level benefits costs a healthy 55-year-old man about $950 a year, and a 60-year-old woman averages about $4,450 a year for $165,000 in initial benefits (AALTCI). See the Traditional LTC Insurance pillar.

6. Can the premium rise after we buy, and what is the insurer's rate history?

Traditional premiums are usually not guaranteed. Many hybrid premiums are. Ask for the insurer's rate-increase history before you compare prices.

7. Will we qualify medically, and what if one of us is declined?

Decline rates rise with age, to 38% for applicants 65 to 69 and 47% for 70 to 74 (AALTCI). If you're declined, look at annuity-based coverage, Private Pay, VA Aid & Attendance or Advance Medicaid Planning.

How coverage works

8. Traditional, hybrid or annuity-based: what happens to the money if care is never needed?

Traditional premiums are spent whether or not you need care. A Hybrid Life / LTC policy leaves a death benefit, and an LTC Annuity repositions savings you already have.

9. What triggers benefits, and how long is the elimination period?

Generally, needing help with two of six daily activities for 90 days or more, or a severe cognitive impairment (IRS Publication 502). Ask how long the elimination period is and how days are counted.

10. Will the benefit keep pace with the cost of care?

Compare the benefit's projected value in 10 and 20 years with what care is likely to cost in your state by then.

11. What tax advantages lower the real cost?

Tax-qualified premiums can count as a medical expense up to age-based limits, for example $4,960 per person for ages 61 to 70 in 2026 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32).

Trust

12. Is the insurer strong enough to pay a claim in 20 years?

Check its financial strength ratings and claims practices, and look up complaints with your state insurance department.

13. Is our advisor licensed, and will they compare every option, not just one product?

Verify the license with your state, and ask whether the advisor will compare insurance with the non-insurance pillars too.

14. Is the policy Partnership-qualified, and would a trust help?

A Partnership policy can protect assets equal to the benefits it paid if Medicaid is needed later. Assets in an irrevocable trust are protected only if the trust was funded more than five years before Medicaid is needed. See Advance Medicaid Planning.

Results

15. If care started tomorrow, how long would our money last?

At the 2025 national median of about $10,798 a month for a private nursing home room, $250,000 lasts about 23 months (CareScout). Ask any plan to show you the gap it closes.

16. Can the plan pay for care at home, or pay a family caregiver?

Ask whether home care is covered from the first day and whether family members can be paid. The Home pillar shows how home equity can fund care at home.

Timeline

17. Which path are we on: crisis, transition or advance planning?

Your timeline narrows your options. Start with the Crisis, Transition or Advance Planning path.

18. How do Medicaid's five-year look-back and spend-down affect our home and spouse?

Medicaid reviews transfers made in the past 60 months, and rules for the home and a spouse at home vary by state. See Medicaid (Baseline) and, if care is needed now, Crisis Planning.

Alternatives

19. How do all 10 funding pillars compare for our situation?

Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, private pay and the home each work under different rules. Compare them in The 10 Funding Pillars.

20. Who will provide the care, and can they keep it up?

Funding is only half the plan. 63 million Americans are family caregivers (AARP). Check your caregiver's load with the Caregiver Burnout Check-In.

The same 20 questions are answered from two other angles: the health and caregiving side on The Dependency Series, and the insurance-shopping side on Funding LTC Marketplace.

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