Retirees in 41 States Risk Outliving Savings as Long-Term Care Costs Surge

LTC News reports that most retirement plans still fail to account for one of the largest financial risks older Americans face, long-term care.

LAGRANGE, IL, UNITED STATES, June 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A sweeping new analysis by CareScout Analytics, reviewed by LTC News, projects that retirees in 41 states and the District of Columbia are on track to outlive their retirement income and savings, leaving the average 65-year-old facing an estimated lifetime funding gap of $109,000. The findings, reported this week by LTC News in their story, "Millions of Americans Risk Outliving Their Retirement Savings. Long-Term Care Could Be the Biggest Missing Piece" reinforce what many financial advisors and Long-Term Care Insurance specialists have warned for years: most Americans are not financially prepared for the possibility of needing extended care.

The CareScout Analytics report modeled retirement income from Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts, and personal savings against projected lifetime expenses, including housing, taxes, healthcare, and long-term care costs. Only nine states — Washington, New Hampshire, Colorado, Nebraska, Idaho, Minnesota, Utah, Maryland, and Montana — were projected to generate enough retirement resources to cover expected lifetime expenses.

According to federal research, 56 percent of Americans turning age 65 will eventually need long-term services and supports. The Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report estimates 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, with long-term care costs for those living with dementia projected to reach $409 billion in 2026 alone.

Long-Term Care Insurance: The Retirement Risk Most Plans Still Miss

Nick DeFrank, Vice President of LTC News, says the CareScout findings underscore a planning gap that many LTC Insurance specialists see regularly among families approaching retirement.

“Most people focus on market risk and whether their investments will last. But a long-term care event — a stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or simply the frailty that comes with living a long life — can drain retirement savings faster than almost any market downturn, DeFrank said.

Experts say that Long-Term Care Insurance isn’t just about paying for extended care. It’s about protecting everything you’ve spent decades building. It preserves your investment portfolio, so you don’t have to liquidate assets in a down market. It avoids the tax complications that come with self-funding care. It gives you access to quality care, including the ability to remain at home longer. And it gives your family the freedom to be family, not full-time caregivers.

LTC News Resources for Families Planning for Long-Term Care

DeFrank says that LTC News provides comprehensive tools and resources to understand and plan for aging and long-term care. LTC News is now reaching hundreds of thousands of people every week with articles on aging, caregiving, health, long-term care, and retirement planning. The LTC News Cost of Long-Term Care Services Directory will show you the current and projected cost of long-term care services anywhere in the United States.

LTC News also features the nation's most comprehensive directory of caregivers and long-term care facilities nationwide. The LTC News Caregiver Directory has over 80,000 listings of caregivers, senior communities, adult day care centers, assisted living, memory care, and nursing home facilities.

"Families can search by zip code or city and easily narrow down options based on a loved one's needs," DeFrank said.

Nick DeFrank
LTC NEWS, LLC
+1 866-222-8390
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