For more than 30 years, ACACIA Insurance has helped New Jersey residents plan for their long-term care needs. As fully independent advisors, we compare long-term care insurance plans and highly rated companies to provide personalized, unbiased recommendations.
We review benefits, features, and pricing to help you choose the long-term care insurance coverage that fits your goals and your budget.
Get Personalized QuotesLong-term care costs vary across New Jersey. Nursing homes show the widest gap. A private room averages $190,926 a year in Newark-Jersey City and $144,292 in Atlantic City-Hammonton. The table below shows 2026 figures for the state and all six regions.
Long-Term Care Costs in New Jersey 2026 | |||
| Region | Nursing Home (private room) annual / monthly | Assisted Living (private room) annual / monthly | Home Health Aide (44 hrs/week) annual / monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Average | $168,248 $14,021 a month | $102,669 $8,556 a month | $86,556 $7,213 a month |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $144,292 $12,024 a month | $92,415 $7,701 a month | $80,233 $6,686 a month |
| Camden | $176,799 $14,733 a month | $96,699 $8,058 a month | $79,572 $6,631 a month |
| Newark-Jersey City | $190,926 $15,911 a month | $105,594 $8,800 a month | $87,420 $7,285 a month |
| Trenton-Princeton | $156,643 $13,054 a month | $116,981 $9,748 a month | $83,616 $6,968 a month |
| Vineland | $172,621 $14,385 a month | $94,775 $7,898 a month | $61,150 $5,096 a month |
| Warren County | $168,137 $14,011 a month | $67,325 $5,610 a month | $74,345 $6,195 a month |
| Source: Nationwide Financial 2026 Cost of Care Survey (HVS), accessed October 12, 2026. Monthly figures are the annual cost divided by twelve. | |||
Medicare covers recovery, not ongoing care. It pays for a skilled nursing facility only after a hospital stay of at least three days. The first 20 days cost you nothing. For days 21 through 100, you pay $217 a day in 2026. After day 100, you pay the full cost. Help with bathing, dressing or eating does not count when it is the only care you need.
New Jersey FamilyCare pays for long-term care through its MLTSS program, but only after your savings are nearly gone. A single applicant may keep $2,000 in countable resources. A spouse at home may keep half of the couple’s resources, within a floor of $32,532 and a cap of $162,660.
A private nursing home room in New Jersey averages $168,248 a year. That is about 45% above the national average of $115,988 and the eighth highest of any state. Assisted living runs $102,669 a year, the third highest. Both figures come from the Nationwide Financial 2026 Cost of Care Survey.
Learn more about Medicare and custodial care ➜
What is the right age to buy long-term care insurance? No single age fits everyone. Health, budget and goals all shape the answer. These patterns hold for most New Jersey buyers:
Nursing home costs in New Jersey rise about 3.5% a year, in line with the national rate. Camden runs closer to 4%. Those increases build on each other until the day you need care. Inflation protection lets your benefit grow to keep pace.
Already past 65? Do not assume it is too late. Carriers underwrite to different standards, and products vary just as widely. Plenty of applicants at that age still qualify. A licensed specialist can review your situation and put real numbers next to it.
Find Out If You QualifyNew Jersey residents can choose from several long-term care insurance options, each designed to help cover care at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility. Understanding how traditional long-term care insurance, hybrid life/LTC policies, LTC annuities, and short-term care plans differ can help you decide which type fits your budget, health, and long-term planning goals.
What It Is: A standalone policy specifically designed to cover comprehensive long-term care expenses, including in-home care, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. These policies are fully portable and provide coverage wherever you receive care.
Coverage Benefits: Provides the most extensive long-term care coverage per dollar spent with flexible daily or monthly benefit amounts for your selected benefit period. Ideal for New Jersey residents planning comprehensive care coverage.
Premium Structure: Recurring payments (monthly, quarterly, or annually). Premiums may experience rate adjustments over time based on insurance company claims experience.
Health Requirements: Requires full medical underwriting with stricter health qualifications than hybrid options. Your current health can significantly impact eligibility and premium costs for New Jersey applicants.
Tax Advantages for New Jersey Residents: Premiums for tax-qualified long-term care insurance policies may qualify as medical expenses for federal tax deductions (subject to income thresholds). Benefits received are generally tax-free.
What It Is: A permanent life insurance policy with an added LTC benefit rider that allows policyholders to access the death benefit early for qualified long-term care expenses, regardless of where care is received.
Coverage Benefits: Typically provides 2 to 4% of the death benefit monthly for long-term care with guaranteed cash value growth. Unused benefits pass to beneficiaries tax-free.
Premium Structure: Guaranteed level premiums that NEVER increase. Higher initial cost than traditional LTC insurance but protected from future rate increases. Can provide important stability for New Jersey residents on fixed incomes.
Health Requirements: Moderate medical underwriting with more flexible health guidelines than traditional LTC insurance, making qualification easier for many New Jersey applicants with health issues.
Tax Advantages for New Jersey Residents: Can utilize 1035 exchanges from appropriate existing policies without tax consequences and can be funded with qualified retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s).
What It Is: A fixed rate or indexed deferred annuity contract with an integrated long-term care benefit rider, ideal for those seeking asset protection with a simplified approval process. Coverage is portable and can be used anywhere care is needed.
Coverage Benefits: Typically multiplies your annuity value by 2 to 3 times for long-term care expenses. For example, a $100,000 annuity might provide $200,000-$300,000 in LTC coverage. If not exhausted for healthcare, the annuity value transfers to your estate at death.
Premium Structure: Can be purchased with a single premium payment with NO future premium payments or rate increases. Best for New Jersey residents with existing assets to reposition for long-term care planning.
Health Requirements: Simplified underwriting with the most lenient health qualifications, sometimes requiring only a phone interview rather than medical exams or records review. Ideal for New Jersey residents with health concerns.
Tax Advantages for New Jersey Residents: Supports tax-free 1035 exchanges from existing annuities, and LTC benefits are generally received tax-free under current federal tax rules.
What It Is: A policy that provides coverage for care in a nursing home, assisted living, or at home for a shorter duration, typically up to 12 months. Coverage is portable and can be used wherever you need short-term care.
Coverage Benefits: Helps cover costs for short-term care needs, including recovery from surgery, illness, or injury. Most policies have a 0-day deductible with benefits paid as soon as you qualify. This bridges gaps before long-term care insurance or Medicare coverage begins for services like home health aides.
Premium Structure: Generally lower than long-term care insurance due to the shorter benefit period, making it an affordable option for many New Jersey families.
Health Requirements: Often features simplified underwriting with fewer health questions, making it easier to qualify. Very helpful for New Jersey residents who may not meet traditional long-term care insurance health or age requirements.
The New Jersey Long-Term Care Partnership rewards people who plan ahead. Each dollar a qualified policy pays in benefits protects a dollar of your savings. Suppose your policy has paid $200,000. You could keep $200,000 in assets and still qualify for New Jersey Medicaid. Home equity limits and other eligibility rules still apply.
A Partnership policy must be tax-qualified. You must live in New Jersey when coverage begins. It also needs inflation protection that fits your age at purchase. At 60 and younger, benefits must compound each year. From 61 through 75, they must grow each year by at least 3% of the original amount. At 76 and older, insurers must offer inflation protection.
Your policy pays first. If its benefits run out, the savings it protected remain yours. The state also cannot later claim those protected dollars from your estate. They can go to your family.
Learn how Long-Term Care Partnership programs work nationwide ➜
New Jersey residents have access to long-term care insurance from a wide range of trusted, financially strong carriers. We work with multiple top-rated LTC insurance providers to help you find a plan that fits your age, health, and budget, whether you’re looking for a traditional policy or a hybrid life + LTC option.
Below is a list of long-term care insurance companies available in New Jersey:
USAA member? Explore USAA long-term care coverage ➜
AARP member? Review AARP long-term care insurance ➜
These companies offer a mix of traditional and asset-based (hybrid) long-term care insurance policies. Availability and pricing vary based on your age, health history, and the type of coverage you need.
Read reviews and ratings of long-term care insurance companies ➜
Traditional long-term care insurance costs in New Jersey range from $1,500 to $5,000+ annually, depending on your age, health, and coverage choices. Most people pay between $2,000 and $3,000 per year for comprehensive coverage.
Several factors influence your premium:
Our licensed New Jersey professionals offer objective guidance on a wide range of long-term care insurance products and strategies. You’ll receive personalized service including:
✔ Finding the right coverage that fits your budget and protection needs
✔ Getting matched with New Jersey’s top-rated carriers based on your specific situation
✔ Helping you secure coverage even with pre-existing health conditions
Most New Jersey buyers pay $2,000 to $3,000 a year for traditional coverage. That is about $167 to $250 a month. The full range runs $1,500 to $5,000 a year, or $125 to $417 a month. Your age, health, benefit amount, waiting period and inflation option set the price.
A private nursing home room averages $14,021 a month statewide in 2026. Assisted living runs $8,556. Those figures come from the Nationwide Financial 2026 Cost of Care Survey. Over a year, they total $168,248 and $102,669.
Comprehensive policies do. A home health aide in New Jersey averages $86,556 a year at 44 hours a week, or $7,213 a month. Benefits usually begin once you need help with two of six daily activities, such as bathing or dressing, or need supervision because of cognitive impairment. A waiting period you choose at purchase applies first. Short-term care insurance, also sold in New Jersey, can cover home care too.
The answer depends on what you buy. A traditional policy works like auto or home insurance. If you never file a claim, it pays nothing back. Hybrid life coverage solves that. Any long-term care benefit you leave unused passes to your heirs as a death benefit. An LTC annuity works in a similar way. Money not spent on care stays in the annuity for you or your beneficiaries. A return of premium rider, sold at extra cost, is another option on some standalone plans.
Last updated: October 12, 2026
Written by: Craig Matesky, President, ACACIA Insurance
Reviewed by: Mike Berger, National Sales Manager
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