The Partnership for Long Term Care Insurance took effect in Oregon as of January 1, 2008.  People who purchase new qualified LTC Insurance policies are able to protect a portion of their estate from being claimed by Medicaid in the event the state eventually pays for LTC on their behalf. This is exciting for several reasons, including the fact that it is more ethical than a ‘medicaid spend-down’ and the fact that it is much more difficult to attain a ‘medicaid spend-down’ than in the past.