Medicare and most health insurance plans don't pay for long-term care in a nursing home. Even if Medicare doesn't cover the care you receive in a nursing home, you'll still cover it. Unfortunately, Medicare only covers care in a skilled nursing facility for a short period of time and only after a hospital stay. Medicare doesn't cover long-term care with custody, whether in the home or in a home of the elderly.
With Medicare, long-term non-medical care in a nursing home isn't usually covered. This is generally true for all types of “custodial care.” Custody includes things like food preparation and other household chores. Someone other than a medical professional can provide it for you. Many families in Missouri and Arkansas are faced with the overwhelming prospect of nursing home costs.
To answer directly, Medicare generally doesn't cover long-term care in nursing homes. While Medicare Part A may provide limited coverage for short-term care in skilled nursing facilities, specifically for rehabilitation care after a qualifying hospitalization, it does not cover ongoing custody care. Medicare Part A doesn't cover most of nursing home care. Medicare Part A can help cover some medical services in a nursing home under certain conditions.
If you need specialized nursing care, such as changing your sterile bandages, Medicare Part A can help cover some costs. Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage designed to help pay for drugs. If your stay in a long-term care facility is covered by Medicare Part A, some of your prescription drugs may also be covered by Part A.If your stay isn't covered by Medicare, you may be covered for certain drugs under a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan if you're already enrolled in Part D. If you need long-term care or are planning ahead, you may have options available.
Talk to your family, your doctor or a counselor to help you choose the best option for you. Medicare Part A will cover palliative care if your doctor certifies that you have a terminal illness, if you accept palliative care instead of care to cure your illness, and you sign a statement that you choose palliative care before any other treatment. If the patient no longer needs daily specialty care, Medicare coverage ends. In this case, you may still be eligible for custody care, which is not covered by Medicare, or you may turn to Medicaid if you meet the requirements.
