Best Long-Term Care Insurance Companies

Long-term care means help with everyday tasks like bathing, dressing and eating, at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home. Medicare doesn't pay for that kind of care over the long haul, and in Nebraska it can cost more than $100,000 a year. This list ranks the companies selling long-term care coverage to Nebraskans on financial strength and Nebraska Partnership status you can verify.

How did we rank long-term care insurance companies?

We ranked companies by AM Best financial strength rating, counting only ratings each company shows on its own website. Long-term care is a long bet. You may pay premiums for 20 years before you file a claim, so the company's ability to pay later matters more here than in almost any other kind of insurance. No company paid to be listed, and being listed is not an endorsement.

When two companies tied, the one with a policy form on the Nebraska Department of Insurance's list of certified Partnership forms ranked higher. That list includes many older forms. Some companies on it may no longer sell new policies, and at least one now carries a much lower rating. So we only included companies that show a current long-term care product on their website, and we checked each rating ourselves.

We didn't compare prices. Long-term care premiums depend on your age, health, the benefit amount, the waiting period and the inflation option you choose.

What does long-term care cost in Nebraska?

Nebraska's costs run a little below the national median for nursing homes and a little above it for home care and assisted living. Here are CareScout's 2025 figures, published in March 2026:

Source: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. Separate Lincoln and Omaha figures were not published.

Medicare covers skilled nursing only for short stays after a qualifying hospital stay, with a $217 daily coinsurance for days 21 to 100 in 2026. Read does Medicare pay for nursing homes? for where that coverage stops.

What is the Nebraska Long-Term Care Partnership?

The Partnership is a state program, in place since July 1, 2006, that gives you Medicaid asset protection for buying a qualifying policy. If you use up your benefits and later apply for Medicaid, Nebraska disregards assets equal to what the policy paid, dollar for dollar.

To qualify, the Nebraska Department of Insurance says a policy must:

• Be tax-qualified and issued after July 1, 2006.
• Be bought while you were a Nebraska resident.
• Include inflation protection based on your age at purchase: compound protection if you're under 61, some protection from 61 to 75, and none required at 76 or older.

Companies must offer 5% compound inflation protection, though you can choose less. Future purchase and guaranteed purchase option riders don't count as inflation protection for the Partnership. Nebraska "may recognize" Partnership policies bought in other states, depending on the circumstances, so if you're moving here with a policy, ask.

Here's why it matters. Under Nebraska's 2026 spousal rules, the spouse who stays at home can keep at most $162,660 in countable assets when the other spouse needs Medicaid nursing home care. A Partnership policy that paid $200,000 in benefits would add $200,000 to what the family can protect.

Which companies sell traditional versus hybrid coverage?

Traditional policies pay only for long-term care. Hybrid, or asset-based, policies attach long-term care benefits to life insurance or an annuity, so money remains if you never need care. Here's how the four companies line up, based on their websites:

Our page on traditional vs hybrid long-term care explains the tradeoffs, including how hybrids are often paid for with a large upfront premium.

What should you ask before buying long-term care insurance?

Ask about rate increases first, because traditional premiums can go up after you buy. New York Life, for example, says it reserves the right to raise premiums on its long-term care forms. Then work through the rest:

1. Is this a Nebraska Partnership policy? Get it in writing.
2. How has the company raised rates on existing policies? And what choices do you get if it does?
3. What is the daily or monthly benefit, and for how long?
4. How long is the waiting period before benefits start?
5. Does it cover home care, or only facility care?
6. What inflation protection is included, and does it meet Partnership rules for your age?

Premiums are based on your age when you buy, and underwriting is required, so a health change can raise the price or close the door. The long-term care FAQ covers more of these questions.

What does this ranking not tell you?

A rating tells you whether a company is strong today. It doesn't tell you how it will treat rate increases on your policy in 15 years, or whether its benefits fit how you'd want to receive care.

It also doesn't cover Medicaid planning. Nebraska's Aged and Disabled Waiver can help some people 65 and older stay at home, and in Lincoln, Aging Partners coordinates those services. See our page on long-term care insurance in Nebraska for how coverage and Medicaid fit together.

Where can you get unbiased help?

The Nebraska Department of Insurance publishes long-term care consumer information and its list of certified Partnership forms, and takes complaints at 877-564-7323. For Medicare questions, Nebraska SHIP offers unbiased counseling at 1-800-234-7119. For a wider look at local insurers, see Nebraska-based insurance companies.

If you'd like to talk through where long-term care fits in your retirement plan, talk to me. My help costs you nothing, and this list isn't a list of companies I'm appointed with.