Many people mistakenly think their health insurance or Medicare will pay for any long-term care services they may need at some point. But health insurance really only pays for doctor and hospital bills. If you develop a chronic illness or become disabled and are unable to care for yourself for an extended period of time, you’ll need long-term care services. And these services aren’t cheap. Full-time nursing home care averages $69,000 to $78,000 per year or 8 hours per day of home health care can cost $43,000 to $70,000 annually.
Explore this section to learn more about who needs long-term care insurance, what types of care are covered, policy options and features, and where and when to buy it. There’s also an interactive map to help you get a sense of what long-term care services cost in your area.
- Who needs it?
- How much does care cost?
- How do I get protection?
- When should I buy a policy?
- What are the types of care?
- Where is care delivered?
- Key terms
- realLIFEstories
- Printable consumer guide (PDF)
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