Calculator

How long would your savings cover long-term care?

If you're planning on your own, the question isn't just what care costs — it's what's left after your income covers part of it, and how long your savings stretch over the rest. Pick a care type and enter two numbers. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

Social Security, pension, annuities — income that would keep coming.

Retirement accounts, savings, investments you could draw down.

$5,350 / month, typical cost
Your income covers part of it; savings cover the rest.
Your income covers$2,400 / mo
45% of the monthly cost
Monthly gap to fund$2,950 / mo
the part your savings have to cover
Savings cover the gap for about 4 years 3 months
Closing the gap

If your savings run short, here's what people do

Most people aging alone don't fund years of care from savings alone. These are the usual ways to cover the gap, each with its own trade-offs:

  • Long-term care insurance — pays a daily or monthly benefit toward care. Worth pricing before you need it; premiums climb sharply with age and health.
  • A reverse mortgage (HECM) — turns home equity into income you can use for in-home care while you stay in the house. Read the costs first.
  • Medicaid — covers long-term care once your assets fall below your state's limit. There's a five-year look-back on gifts, so planning has to happen early.

Read the guide: paying for care on your own

How this estimate works. Monthly costs are 2024 national medians from the Genworth / CareScout Cost of Care Survey; your actual cost depends heavily on your state and the level of care. Medicare generally does not pay for long-term custodial care — see the federal ACL long-term care resource. This tool is a rough planning estimate, not financial advice. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere; it runs entirely in your browser.