What is the cost of waiting to buy long-term care insurance?

There is a time-honored phrase related to long-term care insurance and it goes like this: "Your money pays for long-term care insurance, but your health buys it."

As one ages, the risk of not being able to qualify for long-term care insurance may increase due to deteriorating health.

In addition to the risks of health problems as we age, the dollar cost of long-term care insurance rises dramatically because the insurer has less time to accumulate sufficient reserves to cover its part of the risk.