Shopping for a long-term care insurance policy? It’s going to cost you more. According to the 2012 National Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index published by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, prices for policies currently being offered are between 6 percent and 17 percent higher than comparable coverage a year ago. 

The Association annually analyzes what consumers will pay for the most popular policies offered by 10 leading long term care insurance policies. The study found that the average cost for a 55-year-old single individual who qualified for preferred health discounts is $1,720 for between $165,000 and $200,000 of current coverage.  In 2011, the same coverage would have cost an average of $1,480 annually.