In response to the increasing demand for elderly care, Italy has experienced an intense debate on what should be the most appropriate way to extend coverage for long-term care (LTC). This paper bridges a gap into existing literature by analysing household preferences for LTC coverage in light of an ad hoc survey. We present evidence on household stated willingness to pay (WTP) both for tax financed and private LTC insurance schemes. The distribution of WTP across different socio-economic groups provides insights on the political sustainability of the different institutional solutions. Moreover, estimates of the determinants of demand highlights the importance of income levels and opinion indicators in turning consumer preferences either to public or private schemes. We interpret the different patterns of WTP as evidence of the influence of the redistributive effects inherent to public insurance.