Who pays for nursing home care?
Nursing homes expect that the patient will pay for his/her own care. Only in very rare cases will Medicare pay for the nursing home and then, only partially for up to 100 days. Medicaid will pay when the patient runs out of money. There are financial provisions made for a spouse remaining at home while the other is on Medicaid in the nursing home, so that the at-home spouse will not be impoverished.
When a spouse or parent goes to a nursing home the first question asked is “who is going to pay for my stay”. The answer depends upon a number of factors. It depends on whether hospital stay occurs before going to the nursing home. It depends on how long the nursing home stay lasts. It could also depend on what assets are owned and whether the ill person has long term care insurance. Most seniors have major medical insurance under Medicare and a Medicare supplement. This may be sufficient if the nursing home stay is preceded by a hospital admission which lasts three days or more. If the patient transfers directly from the hospital to the nursing home and the doctor has prescribed some form of therapy, coverage under Medicare may continue for a period of time. The number of days of coverage may be directly related to the length of the therapy received. Medicare will cover all costs for the first 20 days. After that time, if therapy continues, there is a daily co-payment. Normally, a por
>Back to Senior Life HOME (provided by Dick & Karen Sayre, Sayre & Sayre, p.s.) When a spouse or parent goes to a nursing home the first question asked is “who is going to pay for my stay”. The answer depends upon a number of factors. It depends on whether hospital stay occurs before going to the nursing home. It depends on how long the nursing home stay lasts. It could also depend on what assets are owned and whether the ill person has long term care insurance. Most seniors have major medical insurance under Medicare and a Medicare supplement. This may be sufficient if the nursing home stay is preceded by a hospital admission which lasts three days or more. If the patient transfers directly from the hospital to the nursing home and the doctor has prescribed some form of therapy, coverage under Medicare may continue for a period of time. The number of days of coverage may be directly related to the length of the therapy received. Medicare will cover all costs for the first 20 days. Aft
