Will Medicare pay for a nursing home or long-term care?

For the most part, no. When someone only needs help with everyday tasks like bathing, getting dressed or eating, that's custodial care, and Medicare doesn't cover it. What Part A does cover is a short stay in a skilled nursing facility following a qualifying hospital stay, up to 100 days in a benefit period, with a daily coinsurance starting after day 20. Ongoing care is usually paid for with long-term care insurance or Medicaid.

More detail

Here's a real situation. Mom has a stroke, spends 5 days in the hospital, then goes to a skilled nursing facility for therapy. Medicare can cover that rehab stay. But when therapy ends and she just needs help bathing, dressing and eating, Medicare doesn't pay for that care, even if she stays in the same building.

That's the most common misunderstanding I see. Families assume Medicare or a Medicare Supplement will pay for a long nursing home stay. Generally, neither pays for that kind of non-medical care. Medicaid may, if you meet your state's rules, or long-term care insurance, or you pay yourself.

Care like this can be needed at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home. Planning ahead helps you keep your independence and get care in the setting you want.

What to have ready to talk about: your health, your savings and income, and where you'd want care if you needed it.