A Practical Guide to Long-Term Care Planning

Most of us hope to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. Still, as we age, many people will need help with basic daily tasks like bathing, getting dressed, or managing medications. Planning ahead for this stage of life is not about expecting the worst. It’s about giving yourself and your family clarity about what care could look like and how to pay for it.

Long-term care (LTC) planning has changed a lot over the last decade. Today, families have more flexible tools to prepare. The key is understanding your options early so you can make thoughtful decisions rather than rushed ones.

What is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care refers to support for people who need help with everyday activities due to illness, injury, cognitive decline, or simply aging. This care may take place at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility. Because traditional health insurance and Medicare often don’t cover these services, costs can fall directly on individuals and families

No one likes to imagine needing this kind of help. But planning now eases both the financial and emotional burden later.

Why Planning Matters

The cost of care can be significant over time. Putting a plan in place helps protect your retirement savings and reduces stress on family members, especially during moments when quick decisions are needed. When families talk through these choices ahead of time, everyone has more confidence and less fear of the unknown.

How Hybrid LTC Insurance Works

Insurance solutions have evolved. Years ago, most LTC insurance was “use it or lose it.” You paid premiums, and if you never needed care, the benefits simply went unused. Understandably, many people hesitated.

Hybrid long-term care policies changed that. A hybrid policy combines long-term care benefits with a life insurance death benefit. If you need care, the policy helps cover those costs. If you never need care, your family still receives a benefit. Because of this structure, hybrid policies can feel more balanced than traditional LTC options.

These policies also come with guaranteed premiums, which means they won’t increase later. Payments can be made as a lump sum or over time. And for those who have an existing life insurance policy with cash value, it may be possible to repurpose it into a hybrid solution that better fits today’s goals

Hybrid policies aren’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but they are a valuable tool worth exploring.

How We Approach Long-Term Care Planning

At Morton Brown, long-term care planning is a conversation, not a product decision. We start by learning what matters most to you: your health history, your family dynamics, and how you picture receiving care. Some people want to plan to stay in their homes as long as possible. Others feel more comfortable preparing for a mix of options.

From there, we look at your financial picture and consider how care costs would fit. For some families, using savings alone makes sense. Others prefer to include insurance as a way to protect assets or create more flexibility. Often, the final plan blends both approaches.

Our goal is not to predict the future. It’s to help you build a plan that gives direction and comfort, even as circumstances change.

Connecting Health and Wealth: Our Partnership with Move Health

Understanding long-term care ties closely to understanding the broader healthcare system. To better support clients, we partner with Move Health, an independent resource that helps people make sense of:

• Marketplace health insurance choices (Pre-65)
• Medicare options (Age 65 and beyond)

Key Dates to Know

• Medicare Open Enrollment: October 15 – December 7 each year
• Marketplace Open Enrollment: November 1, 2025 – January 15, 2026

(Dates may differ by state.)

Together, we help clients choose options that fit both their care needs and long-term plan.