Traditional Stand-Alone LTC

Traditional long-term care insurance is a dedicated policy that helps pay for care at home, in assisted living, or in skilled nursing when eligibility triggers are met (typically needing help with two of six activities of daily living or a qualifying cognitive impairment). Clients choose monthly benefit amounts, benefit periods, elimination periods, and may add options like inflation protection or shared care.

It’s a strong fit for proactive planners approaching retirement, cost-conscious buyers who want focused LTC coverage, high-earning professionals or business owners who may benefit from tax treatment, and anyone aiming to protect retirement savings or legacy goals from future care costs.

Advisors value the relatively low entry point—for comparable care benefits, traditional LTC often starts with among the lowest initial premiums. It keeps planning straightforward by delivering purpose-built coverage without bundling with life insurance or annuity values.

That said, expectations matter: premiums are generally not guaranteed and can be increased on a class basis with regulatory approval, and benefits are “use it or lose it”—if care isn’t needed, there’s typically no cash value or death benefit unless optional features (e.g., nonforfeiture) are selected.

• “If you needed care for two or three years, how would you want to pay for it?”
• “Would you prefer to receive care at home, and do you have a plan to fund that choice?”
• “What impact would extended care have on the savings earmarked for retirement or heirs?”