LTC News expands free tools for families searching long-term care

LTC News has added and expanded free resources to help families compare long-term care options, check local costs and understand how care gets paid for. The update comes as many families face urgent, high-stakes decisions about home care, assisted living and memory care with little time to research. Why it matters: - Families often make long-term care decisions during a crisis, when time is short and comparisons are hard. - The cost of care can quickly overwhelm households, especially when Medicare and standard health insurance do not cover ongoing custodial care. - Better access to provider data and real local pricing can help families avoid rushed choices and financial surprises. What happened: - LTC News expanded its free consumer tools to help families find, evaluate and pay for long-term care. - The updated resources cover home care, assisted living, memory care, rehab centers, senior communities and nursing homes. - The company also offers free claims support for families using a Long-Term Care Insurance policy. - Families can get help filing and managing a claim through the LTC News claims support page . The details: - The LTC News Caregiver Directory is a searchable national database with contact information and quality indicators for providers across multiple care settings. - The directory is designed to give families a starting point before an immediate need makes research harder. - The LTC News Cost of Long-Term Care Services Calculator lets users enter a ZIP code to see local pricing. - The calculator uses current survey data on long-term care costs in the U.S. - LTC News says the pricing reflects real-world provider costs, not retail rates. - In its cost data, home care can run $6,000 or more per month, depending on location. - Assisted living averages $5,000 to $6,000 per month in base costs. - Assisted living care-level surcharges can add another $2,000 per month. - Skilled nursing care can cost more than $11,000 per month in many markets. - Medicare covers only short-term skilled nursing care after a qualifying hospital stay, up to 100 days. - Medicare includes significant co-pays starting on day 21, and coverage ends after day 100. - Standard health insurance follows a similar pattern. - Neither Medicare nor standard health insurance covers ongoing custodial care such as bathing, dressing, eating and mobility support. - Families without a plan generally pay those costs out of pocket unless a loved one qualifies for Medicaid based on limited financial resources. Between the lines: - The expansion reflects a larger gap in the long-term care market: families need both provider guidance and cost clarity at the same time. - The directory and calculator are meant to reduce information asymmetry, especially for people who have never shopped for care before. - The Long-Term Care Insurance claims help suggests LTC News is positioning itself not just as a research tool, but as a service layer for families once care needs begin. - Nick DeFrank, vice president of LTC News, said families often make these choices in the middle of a crisis and benefit from a trusted directory with cost and quality information. - DeFrank also said the tools are meant to help families understand real numbers and plan before a crisis forces a decision. What’s next: - LTC News is directing families to its updated Long-Term Care Insurance Learning Center for a more detailed guide on coverage, benefits and planning. - The company is also encouraging families to use the directory and cost calculator earlier, before care becomes urgent. - DeFrank said the most successful families are the ones who plan years ahead, with a financial strategy already in place. The bottom line: - LTC News is trying to make long-term care decisions less guesswork-driven by pairing provider search tools with local cost data and insurance support.