Long-term care — a nursing home, assisted living, or extended in-home care — is generally not covered by health insurance or Medicare beyond short rehabilitation stays, which is exactly the gap this calculator sizes.
How it works
Total projected care cost (annual cost times years of care planned for) is compared against savings earmarked for care plus any existing long-term care policy’s benefit. Whatever isn’t covered is the gap.
What this does not include
This doesn’t account for inflation in care costs over time, or for Medicaid eligibility rules that can apply once savings are exhausted — both real factors a full long-term care plan should consider beyond this gap estimate.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the local annual cost of the type of care you’re planning for.
- Enter how many years of care you’re planning for, and any savings or existing policy benefit.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover long-term care?
Only limited short-term skilled nursing or rehabilitation stays — ongoing custodial long-term care generally isn’t a Medicare benefit, which is why this gap exists for most people.
What if my savings and policy already cover the full projected cost?
The gap is reported as $0 rather than a negative number — there’s nothing further to plan for on this specific projection.
Why does the number of years matter so much?
Because annual care costs multiply — a difference of even one or two years of care planned for can swing the total projected cost by tens of thousands of dollars.
