To help reduce Medicaid’s expenditures on long-term services and supports, and preserve Medicaid for the truly needy, 43 states have passed landmark legislation creating a “public-private” partnership to help the middle-class plan for long-term care.

These “Long-Term Care Partnership Programs” encourage the middle-class to purchase an amount of long-term care insurance that is equal to their assets. If their long-term care insurance policy runs out of benefits they can apply for Medicaid to pay for their care and all of their assets would be protected from Medicaid “spend down” and Medicaid “estate recovery”.

It is now very easy to buy long-term care insurance. Companies that had stopped selling long-term care insurance are now selling it again, including top companies like Transamerica and Thrivent Financial. In most states there are more companies selling long-term care insurance today than there are companies selling medical insurance. Policies can even be purchased online without ever meeting an insurance agent.

The whole of the USA health insurance industry is a scam. Real health reform will come when we do away with this and the money can actually go to care instead of to some corporation's profits.

Sure, the younger you are the lower the price of LTC insurance. However, remember that if you stop paying for it along the way you lose everything you have paid in and no longer have the coverage.
The other side of the coin is that the longer you wait, the higher the chance they will turn you down for medical reasons when you apply.
Yet, all things considered, if your net worth is several hundred K or more, you should give it serious consideration.

Let's see, pay the rent/mortgage and heating and food bills or buy LTC. And for those with youngsters in or about to start college?

For me, at least, LTC comes (far) after basic life and business (I'm an artist) expenses.