A traditional long-term care insurance policy with a $165,000 benefit pool costs about $950 to $1,500 a year if you buy it at 55 with no inflation protection, and roughly $2,200 to $3,750 a year with benefits that grow 3% a year. At 65, the same 3% growth coverage runs about $3,280 a year for a man and $5,290 for a woman, and a 65-year-old couple pays about $7,030 a year combined. Those are averages from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) price index, priced in Illinois for applicants in average health. Your quote can land far above or below them depending on your age, sex, health, state, benefit design and insurer.
No 2027 premium survey exists yet. The newest published figures are AALTCI's 2026 Price Index, priced in July 2026, and they are what people shopping in late 2026 and early 2027 are quoted against. Where the 2026 index did not publish a figure (ages 60 and 65 by sex), this page uses the 2025 index and labels it.
This page is about price. For what a policy covers, how benefit triggers work, and who should skip coverage, see our long-term care insurance guide.
Long-Term Care Insurance Cost at a Glance
| Buyer | Benefit growth | Average yearly premium | Source year |
|---|
| Man, 55 | None (level) | $950 | 2026 |
| Woman, 55 | None (level) | $1,500 | 2026 |
| Man, 55 | 3% compound | $2,200 | 2026 |
| Woman, 55 | 3% compound | $3,750 | 2026 |
| Couple, both 55 | 3% compound | $5,010 to $5,050 combined | 2026 |
| Woman, 60 | 3% compound | $4,450 | 2026 |
| Couple, both 60 | 3% compound | $4,591 to $7,173 combined, depending on insurer | 2026 |
| Couple, both 65 | 3% compound | $7,030 combined | 2026 |
All figures assume a starting benefit pool of $165,000 per person and the insurer's "select" health class, which AALTCI describes as a person with some health issues. People in excellent health can get lower rates. Prices are for Illinois; AALTCI notes that prices vary by state. The 2026 index gives the 55-year-old couple's 3% premium as $5,010 in its summary and $5,050 in its detailed table, so the table above shows both.
Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums by Age, Sex and Inflation Option
The sections below show the full price tables. "Level" means the $165,000 pool never grows. "3% growth" and "5% growth" mean the pool grows by that percentage every year, compounded, so the coverage keeps up better with care costs.
Premiums at Age 55 (2026 Price Index)
| Buyer | Level benefit | 3% growth | 5% growth |
|---|
| Single man | $950 | $2,200 | $3,710 |
| Single woman | $1,500 | $3,750 | $6,400 |
| Couple (combined) | $2,080 | $5,050 | $8,575 |
Bought at 55, a $165,000 pool is worth about $400,500 per person by age 85 at 3% growth, or $679,100 at 5% growth, according to AALTCI.
Premiums at Age 60 (2025 Price Index)
| Buyer | Level benefit | 2% growth | 3% growth | 5% growth |
|---|
| Single man | $1,200 | $2,100 | $2,610 | $3,800 |
| Single woman | $1,900 | $3,425 | $4,550 | $6,700 |
| Couple (combined) | $2,600 | $4,500 | $5,800 | $8,700 |
These were priced in January 2025. The 2026 index updated only the single woman's figure, to $4,450 a year, about $100 less than the year before.
Premiums at Age 65 (2025 Price Index)
| Buyer | Level benefit | 2% growth | 3% growth | 5% growth |
|---|
| Single man | $1,750 | $2,675 | $3,280 | $4,255 |
| Single woman | $2,700 | $4,265 | $5,290 | $7,225 |
| Couple (combined) | $3,750 | $5,810 | $7,150 | $9,675 |
The 2026 index put the 65-year-old couple with 3% growth at $7,030 a year, slightly below the 2025 figure of $7,150. A pool bought at 65 with 3% growth reaches about $298,500 per person by age 85.
What About Age 70 and Older?
AALTCI does not publish a price benchmark at 70. Premiums keep climbing with age, but the bigger problem is getting approved at all. In 2022, AALTCI reported that 38.2% of applicants aged 65 to 69 were declined, and 47% of those aged 70 to 75 were declined or deferred. If you are comparing buying at 60 against waiting until 70, the real comparison is a known premium now against a higher premium later and a much higher chance of no offer at all.
Why Women Pay More Than Men
At every age in the tables, a single woman pays more than a single man for the same coverage. At 55 with 3% growth, she pays $3,750 against his $2,200, about 70% more. Insurers price this way because women live longer and, on average, need care for longer. The federal Administration for Community Living estimates women need care for 3.7 years on average and men for 2.2 years.
How Much Couples Save
Couples pay less than two single policies. Using the 2025 age-65 figures with 3% growth, a man and a woman bought separately would pay $3,280 plus $5,290, or $8,570 a year. As a couple, they pay $7,150, about 17% less. At 55 the gap is similar: $5,950 for two single policies against $5,050 for the couple, about 15% less. Many insurers also offer a shared-care rider, which lets one spouse draw on the other's unused benefits for an added cost.
What Drives the Price of Long-Term Care Insurance
Seven choices and facts set your premium. Some you control, some you do not.
| Factor | How it moves the price |
|---|
| Age when you buy | The single biggest factor. A level-benefit policy for a woman costs $1,500 at 55 and $2,700 at 65 |
| Sex | Women pay roughly 50% to 75% more than men of the same age |
| Health class | Preferred, select and standard classes can differ by hundreds of dollars a year. A serious diagnosis can mean a decline |
| Inflation protection | The most expensive option you choose. At 55, 3% growth more than doubles a man's premium, and 5% growth nearly quadruples it |
| Benefit amount and period | A bigger monthly benefit, or one that pays for more years, costs more |
| Elimination period | A longer wait before benefits start, such as 90 days instead of 30, lowers the premium |
| State and insurer | Premiums vary by state, and insurers quote very different prices for the same person |
The Insurer You Pick Can Change the Price by Thousands
The 2026 index priced the same coverage for an Illinois couple, both 60, with a $165,000 pool growing at 3% a year, at five insurers on July 20, 2026:
| Insurer (unnamed in the index) | Yearly premium, couple both 60 |
|---|
| Company 1 | $4,591 |
| Company 2 | $5,661 |
| Company 3 | $6,440 |
| Company 4 | $6,712 |
| Company 5 | $7,173 |
The most expensive quote is 56% higher than the cheapest for nearly identical coverage. AALTCI reported spreads of up to 29% for a 60-year-old woman and up to 80% for a 65-year-old couple. Getting more than one quote is the easiest way to cut the cost.
Starting Early vs. Waiting: The Math
Buying younger means a lower yearly premium but more years of paying. Here is a rough comparison for a woman choosing 3% growth, assuming her premium never rises (which is not guaranteed, see the next section):
| Buy at | Yearly premium | Years paid to age 85 | Total paid by 85 | Benefit pool at 85 |
|---|
| 55 | $3,750 | 30 | $112,500 | About $400,500 |
| 65 | $5,290 | 20 | $105,800 | About $298,500 |
The totals come out close, but the person who bought at 55 ends up with a larger benefit pool and was covered for 10 more years. She also locked in coverage while she was healthier. The 55 figure is from the 2026 index and the 65 figure from 2025.
Rate Increases: Today's Price Is Not a Locked Price
Standalone long-term care premiums are not guaranteed. An insurer cannot raise your rate alone, but it can raise rates for a whole class of policyholders in a state once the state insurance department approves. Washington's insurance commissioner explains that many early policies were underpriced because insurers did not expect to pay as many claims as they have. Owners of many older policies have seen several rounds of increases.
Before you buy, ask each insurer for its rate increase history on all of its long-term care policies, not only the one you are considering. If an increase comes later and you cannot afford it, you can usually keep some coverage by:
- Reducing the daily or monthly benefit
- Shortening the benefit period
- Lengthening the elimination period
- Lowering or dropping inflation protection
- Choosing a contingent nonforfeiture option, which stops premiums and leaves a paid-up benefit usually equal to the premiums you paid, minus any claims already paid
Budget for the chance that your premium goes up while your income stays flat. That risk is one reason many buyers also look at life insurance policies with long-term care benefits.
Hybrid Life and Long-Term Care Policies: What They Cost
A hybrid, or linked-benefit, policy combines life insurance with a pool of long-term care benefits. If you never need care, your family gets a death benefit. That feature costs more. The 2026 index compared policies for 55-year-olds with no inflation growth:
| Policy type (age 55, no inflation growth) | Man | Woman |
|---|
| Traditional LTC, $180,000 pool | $1,050 a year | $1,645 a year |
| Hybrid Company A, $180,000 pool, $120,000 minimum death benefit | $3,540 a year | $3,265 a year |
| Hybrid Company B, $240,000 pool, $120,000 minimum death benefit | $3,750 a year | $3,555 a year |
In these examples, a hybrid costs roughly two to three and a half times as much a year as a traditional policy, and both hybrids charged women less than men. Many hybrids are paid with a lump sum or over a fixed number of years. Whether the premium can change depends on the contract, so read the guarantees in the illustration rather than assuming the rate is fixed. For how hybrids work, see the hybrid section of our long-term care insurance guide and our page on life insurance for seniors.
What the Premium Buys: Premiums vs. Care Costs
The CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the national median for a private nursing home room at $129,575 a year and a home health aide at $80,080 a year for 44 hours a week. A woman who buys at 65 with 3% growth would pay about $5,290 a year, so roughly 24 years of premiums equal one year of private-room nursing home care at today's median.
Medicare does not fill this gap. It pays only for short-term skilled care, up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility after a qualifying hospital stay, and not for ongoing help with daily living. See our page on Medicare long-term care coverage limits. Medicaid pays for long-term care only after you spend down to its asset limits, explained in Medicaid long-term care asset limits.
Tax Breaks That Lower the Net Cost
Premiums for a tax-qualified policy count as medical expenses up to an age-based limit. For tax year 2026 (returns filed in 2027), the IRS limit per person is $4,960 for ages 61 to 70 and $6,200 for 71 and over, with lower limits at younger ages. You get a deduction only for medical costs above 7.5% of adjusted gross income, and only if you itemize, so many buyers see little benefit. Self-employed people and HSA owners have other ways to use the limit. The full table is in our long-term care insurance guide. Some states also offer a deduction or credit.
How to Get an Accurate Quote, Step by Step
- Pick a benefit target. Look up the cost of care where you live and decide how much of it you want insurance to cover. Social Security and pension income can pay part.
- Choose your inflation option. Compound growth costs the most but matters most if you are buying in your 50s.
- Set the elimination period. Compare quotes at 30, 90 and 180 days.
- Price single and couple options if you are married or partnered, including shared care.
- Get quotes from several insurers. The 2026 index found a 56% spread for the same couple.
- Ask for each insurer's rate increase history and its financial strength rating.
- Check for a state Partnership policy. It can protect assets if you later need Medicaid.
- Get free, unbiased help. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or state insurance department can review a quote with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does long-term care insurance cost per month?
For a $165,000 benefit pool with 3% growth, the 2026 averages work out to about $183 a month for a 55-year-old man and $313 a month for a 55-year-old woman. At 65, using 2025 figures, it is about $273 a month for a man and $441 a month for a woman. Policies without inflation growth cost less, starting near $79 a month for a 55-year-old man.
What is the average cost of long-term care insurance at 65?
A 65-year-old couple pays about $7,030 a year combined for $165,000 each with 3% growth, according to the 2026 AALTCI Price Index. Single buyers at 65 paid about $3,280 (men) and $5,290 (women) a year in the 2025 index.
Is long-term care insurance cheaper for couples?
Yes. A couple usually pays about 15% to 17% less than two single policies for the same coverage, based on AALTCI's figures at 55 and 65.
Can my long-term care insurance premium go up after I buy?
Yes, for standalone policies. Insurers can raise premiums for a whole class of policyholders with state approval. Ask about an insurer's rate increase history before you buy, and know your options for reducing benefits instead of dropping the policy.
Is it too late to buy long-term care insurance at 70?
Not always, but it is harder. Premiums are higher, and AALTCI reported that 47% of applicants aged 70 to 75 were declined or deferred. Someone who cannot qualify may want to look at a short-term care policy, a life policy with a long-term care or chronic illness rider, or Medicaid planning.
Why are long-term care insurance quotes so different?
Each insurer prices risk differently and treats health conditions differently in underwriting. AALTCI found quotes for the same 65-year-old couple differed by up to 80% in 2026. Two quotes are the minimum; more is better.
