As millions of Baby Boomers head into retirement, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates most Americans will need some form of Long-Term Care in retirement.  Complicating that reality are two things:  First, 58% of Americans still don't understand that Medicare won't cover Long-Term Care for chronic illness, aging-related decline, or cognitive impairment.  Second, fewer than 20% of Americans have proactively addressed potential Long-Term Care expenses.  Put it all together, and the reality check is that the advisory community is squarely at fault…..And yes, that means at fault, not default — though the default is exactly the Long-Term Care "plan" most of the advisory community silently approves without fully understanding it.  It's the plan clients probably won't like, the one that leaves them and their loved ones vulnerable in ways they never imagined.

Perhaps most frightening is the advisory community's apathy to the fundamental questions every client must answer: To what extent will I need care, for how long, who will provide that care, and how will I pay for it? Instead, most of the advisory community is leading Americans down the dangerous path of advising clients to "self-insure" or, more accurately, "self-fund" potential LTC needs, and it's time to examine the realities of this advice and why many consumers should ignore it and engage someone with actual LTC Planning expertise.

Most Advisors Aren't Specialists — And That's the Problem

Just because someone holds a professional designation doesn't mean they're qualified to guide clients through Long-Term Care Planning.  A CPA may understand the tax treatment of investments, but that doesn't make them a portfolio manager.  An estate planning attorney may help execute wills and trusts, but that doesn't mean they're equipped to recommend insurance design or care coordination to maximize that legal structure for Long-Term Care.  And financial planners who build retirement plans but often leave healthcare assumptions dangerously vague — or worse, they overlook critical data points altogether.....like Fidelity's estimate of over $330,000 in out-of-pocket healthcare costs for a 65-year-old couple in retirement.

The truth is, planning Long-Term Care is not a core competency of any traditional advisory discipline, except one: The Long-Term Care Planning Specialist.  Without that focused expertise, most other members of the advisory community are offering uninformed/misinformed opinions dressed up as guidance.  And it's consumers who end up exposed to risk, stress, and outcomes they never planned for.

Silence Isn't Strategy — It's a Red Flag

Many clients mistakenly assume that if their advisor hasn't brought up Long-Term Care, it must not be relevant or important.  That silence is often interpreted as approval, even though most advisors avoid the topic because they're unsure how to structure the conversation, lack confidence in the available options, or fear it will derail other aspects of the advisory relationship.  However, by staying silent, advisors endorse the default path — one that often ends with crisis-driven decisions, reactive spending, and avoidable emotional strain on the family.  Silence may feel safe in the moment, but it comes at a significant cost later.

Long-Term Care Planning Is Healthcare in Retirement

Too often, Long-Term Care is treated as something separate from retirement or healthcare planning.  But this is a false divide.  Long-Term Care Planning is healthcare planning — it's just healthcare that happens when recovery is no longer expected.  The rise in chronic illness, cognitive decline, and age-related care makes this one of the most likely and expensive healthcare events in retirement.  Ignoring it means failing to plan for what may be one of the most significant lines on their income statement and one that impacts not just their assets, but their independence, control, and their loved ones' peace of mind.

It's Time for the Advisory Community to Do Better

Long-Term Care Planning isn't a niche; it's a critical, growing need that impacts nearly every aspect of a client's comprehensive planning.  Ignoring it, deferring it, or defaulting to "self-funding" is unacceptable.  If you're not prepared to engage in real LTC Planning or you're still operating under outdated assumptions, that's okay.  But it's time to collaborate with those who specialize in this space.  Whether it's acknowledged or not, the silence throughout the advisor community is tacitly encouraging the default plan for consumers.

When that plan fails, will they or their loved ones ask why they were never warned?