Top 15 cheapest states for long-term care costs: 2014

If you or a client are a caregiver for someone who really needs long-term care, you know how draining the experience can be, no matter how willing you may be to fill the gap between need and coverage.

According to Genworth’s annual study on the cost of LTC, not only are caregivers in for long hours—a third of caregivers say that they provide 30 hours or more per week—and higher expenses, but work can be seriously affected, too. The study says 65 percent have been subject to lateness or absenteeism, have lost jobs or had to go into another line of work altogether as they struggle to add caregiving to an already full professional life.

And since more than 70 percent of people over 65, according to the National Medicare Handbook, will need some kind of LTC at some point — not necessarily admittance to a nursing home, but perhaps residence at an assisted living facility, access to adult day care or the help of a licensed home health care aide — the question of coverage for LTC is something that needs to be addressed before, not when, people need help.

Of course, cost is always a factor in choosing any kind of insurance. Those worried that rates will skyrocket once they’ve bought a policy, even in the cheapest states, might want to take comfort from Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance (AALTCI). While policies did experience massive rate increases in the recent past, Slome said that that’s not as likely to happen for new policies in the future.

“When it comes to long-term care insurance the past does not always predict the future,” Slome said. “State regulations and oversight, use of more conservative interest rates based on future years of historic low interest rates and pricing assumptions based more fully on realized experience make me confident circumstances today are dramatically different.”

(Check out last year’s story: Top 10 Cheapest States for Long-Term Care Costs: 2013)

Not only do insurers now realize that those who buy policies are far more likely to keep them than previously thought, he added, projected returns are far more conservative, based on substantially lower interest rates than those used to price earlier policies.

Here are the 15 cheapest states in which to receive some form of LTC. Categories included are adult day care, licensed home care, assisted living and nursing home private rooms.

15. Nebraska

Average Annual Cost: $43,532

Adult day care: $12,927

Licensed home care: $48,048

Assisted living: $39,570

Nursing home (private room): $73,584

14. Iowa

Average Annual Cost: $43,151

Adult day care: $14,300

Licensed home care: $49,764

Assisted living: $41,016

Nursing home (private room): $67,525

See also: LTC: The financial impact

13. Utah

Average Annual Cost: $42,468

Adult day care: $12,090

Licensed home care: $48,048

Assisted living: $36,732

Nursing home (private room): $73,000

12. North Carolina

Average Annual Cost: $42,390

Adult day care: $13,260

Licensed home care: $38,896

Assisted living: $35,280

Nursing home (private room): $82,125

See also: 5 most expensive LTC markets

11. Kansas

Average Annual Cost: $42,005

Adult day care: $18,200

Licensed home care: $41,184

Assisted living: $44,760

Nursing home (private room): $63,875

10. Tennessee

Average Annual Cost: $41,888

Adult day care: $14,300

Licensed home care: $39,582

Assisted living: $41,580

Nursing home (private room): $72,088

See also: LTCI Watch: Tax day

9. Mississippi

Average Annual Cost: $41,077

Adult day care: $16,250

Licensed home care: $36,608

Assisted living: $34,800

Nursing home (private room): $76,650

8. South Carolina