Does Medicare pay for nursing home stays?

September 20, 2009 by admin

Under certain limited conditions, Medicare will pay some nursing home costs for Medicare beneficiaries who require skilled nursing or rehabilitation services. To be covered, you must receive the services from a Medicare certified skilled nursing home after a qualifying hospital stay. A qualifying hospital stay is the amount of time spent in a hospital just prior to entering a nursing home. This is at least three days. To learn more about Medicare payment for skilled nursing home costs, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in your State. The number can be found in the Helpful Contacts section of this web site. For more information, see "The Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home", which describes what is and is not covered and what alternatives are available.