By Tim Lyons, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.
Long term care is the help people need with daily life when health or age gets in the way: bathing, dressing, moving around, or staying safe at home. It is one of the biggest costs in retirement, and most people do not plan for it. A plan made early gives you choices later.
How Likely Are You to Need Long Term Care?
Likely. The Administration for Community Living says someone turning 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long term care services. The average person needs it for about 3 years. About 20 percent will need it for more than 5 years. Women need care longer on average, 3.7 years compared to 2.2 years for men.[1]
Doesn’t Medicare Pay for Long Term Care?
No. Medicare says it does not pay for long term care, and neither do most health insurance plans, including Medicare Supplement plans.[2] Medicaid has eligibility limits and fewer choices. So the question is not whether care costs money. It is who pays, and how much choice you keep.
What Happens to a Family Without a Plan?
Without a plan, care often falls to a spouse or adult children. Family members give up work hours, dip into their own savings, and make big decisions under stress. Nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for someone living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, giving more than 19 billion hours of care a year.[3] A plan decided ahead of time can take that weight off your family.
What Are Your Options for Paying for Care?
- Hybrid life insurance with a long term care benefit. If you need care, the policy can pay toward it. If you never do, your family still receives a death benefit. This is what I offer.
- Self funding. Setting money aside for care. This can work depending on your total assets, risk tolerance, and family situation.
- Medicaid. A safety net with eligibility limits and fewer choices.
Long term care planning isn’t just about insurance. It’s about deciding, ahead of time, how care gets paid for and who’s involved in the decisions. We look at your health, family history, other assets, and how much risk you’re comfortable carrying yourself, and help you land on an approach that fits.
Who Will You Actually Talk To?
Me. When you call or text, I answer. I am Tim Lyons, and I stay with you from your first question to the day your long term care policy is delivered. You will not be handed to a call center, a quote form, or a chatbot.
- Free answers before we start. Ask anything on a 15 minute call. There is no cost and no obligation.
- I shop the carriers. I do not sell one company’s policy. I compare carriers and bring forward the lowest quote for the coverage you need.
- I run the process. I walk you through the health interview, read the formal offer, and explain every line.
- I answer when things change. If the price or terms move, you hear it from me, with options.
What We Look At in a Long Term Care Review
- How much care could cost in your area, and how long benefits would need to last
- Which hybrid plans fit your health, age, and budget
- Care settings covered: home, assisted living, or a nursing facility
- Return of premium options and death benefit features
- Inflation options to help benefits keep up with rising costs
- How a plan fits with your broader retirement income plan
How Is This Different From Buying Online or From One Company?
- Online quote forms: long term care plans have many moving parts. A form does not explain them.
- An agent tied to one company: you see one company’s plans.
- Working with me: I compare hybrid plans across carriers, explain the terms in plain English, and stay with you through underwriting.
What Happens After You Say Yes to a Quote?
There are three steps, and you can stop at any of them.
- We compare rates. The lowest quote for the coverage you need moves forward.
- The carrier completes underwriting. Underwriting is when they review your health and make a formal offer.
- We look at real pricing together. We check the benefit amount, benefit period, premiums, and other policy features.
Most of the time, nothing changes. It is just a chance to confirm the numbers.
Why can two carriers price the same person differently?
Every carrier scores health a little differently. Think of a big spreadsheet with a tab for each factor: height, weight, age, job, and more. Each company draws its cutoffs in slightly different places. What one carrier rates as “standard,” another might rate as “preferred.”
What if the price goes up?
Some agents skip this step. They say “the price changed” and push you to accept it. I will not do that. The health interview gives us the detail we need to shop other carriers, so if the number moves, we look at other options first. I am not stuck with the first offer, and neither are you.
What if the price goes down?
It can. Underwriting sometimes moves your rating in your favor. When that happens, I re-run the quotes with the new rating class to confirm the lowest option is still the lowest.
What Holds People Back From Moving Forward?
“I’d rather self fund.”
That can be a fine choice for some families. We can walk through the math so you decide with real numbers, not a guess.
“I’m not old enough to worry about this.”
Planning in your 50s or early 60s usually works best, while you’re still insurable and premiums are lower. Waiting until a health event happens usually removes options entirely.
“I don’t want to pay for something I might never use.”
That is the reason hybrid plans exist. If you never need care, your family still receives a death benefit.
“My kids will help.”
They likely will want to. A plan lets them be family instead of full time caregivers.
“I don’t want a pushy sales call.”
Fair. The call is free, it is 15 minutes, and you can hang up with answers and no obligation.
Ready for a Free 15 Minute Call?
Bring your questions. We will talk about what care could look like for you, what your options are, and whether a plan fits your goals.
Common Questions About Long Term Care Planning
It typically covers costs like nursing home care, assisted living, and in-home care that Medicare does not pay for. Policies vary widely in what they cover and for how long, so reviewing the specific terms matters.
Generally, no. Medicare covers short term skilled nursing or rehab after a hospital stay, but not ongoing custodial care. The Administration for Community Living (acl.gov) has more detail on what’s actually covered.
Earlier than most people think, typically in your 50s or early 60s, while you’re still insurable and premiums are lower. Waiting until a health event happens usually removes options entirely.
Traditional policies are use it or lose it coverage for care costs. Hybrid policies combine life insurance with a long term care benefit, so if you never need care, your family still receives a death benefit.
Some people choose to set aside assets specifically for potential care costs instead of buying a policy. Whether this makes sense depends on your total assets, risk tolerance, and family situation. We can walk through the math with you.
Underwriting is when the carrier reviews your health and makes a formal offer. It is the step between a quote and a real policy.
Most of the time, no. Sometimes the health review shows something the quote did not account for, and the offer moves. If it does, we look at other carriers before you accept anything.
Yes. Sometimes the carrier re-rates you into a better health class, and the offer comes back lower than the quote. When that happens, we re-run the quotes to confirm the numbers.
Nothing. It is a free conversation with me. You can ask questions, and you decide whether to go further.
Ready to start? Book a free 15 minute call or call or text me at 561-331-6226. You will talk to me, Tim Lyons, not a call center and not a chatbot.
Prefer to start with a quote? Fill out the form below and I will follow up personally.
Sources
- Administration for Community Living, LongTermCare.gov. “How Much Care Will You Need?.” Undated web page. https://acl.gov/ltc/basic-needs/how-much-care-will-you-need
- Medicare.gov. “Long Term Care Coverage.” Undated web page. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care
- Alzheimer’s Association. “Alzheimer’s Association Honors the Nearly 12 Million Americans Who Serve as Dementia Caregivers.” November 3, 2025. https://www.alz.org/news/2025/november-national-family-caregivers-alzheimers-disease-awareness-month
Accessed September 29, 2026.
Long-term care insurance policies contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits, and terms for keeping them in force. Your financial professional can provide you with costs and complete details. All policy guarantees are based upon the claims paying ability of the issuer. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing.
Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Lyons Resources and LPL Financial are separate entities.