Doesn’t the government cover the costs of long-term nursing care through the Medicare program?
Not really. The government does play a significant role in paying for long-term nursing care, BUT primarily through the need-based Medicaid program. Of the total national long-term care bill: • Less than 12% is paid for by Medicare, and then only for short-term recuperative stays with a total lifetime benefit of 100 nursing days per beneficiary. • Although Medicaid does indeed end up picking up the lion’s share of national nursing home care costs, the family penalty is very high. If you are not almost destitue, it is difficult to qualify for Medicaid. • Roughly 1.5% is paid for by commercial long-term care insurance policies. • Approximately 90% of home long-term care cost is paid by private resources – family members. The Buena Vida Health Care program is designed to complement Medicare, covering all nursing days that are not covered by Medicare… for life.
