Q & A
What are Medicare’s Limitations on Nursing Home Stays?
Full Question: My father is currently in the hospital, we have been told he is going to require ongoing care in a skilled medical facility. My mother is physically frail and in no shape to take care of him at home so I guess we have no choice but to accept placement. My mother is very worried because a friend told her the state is going to take all their money to pay for my father’s care. My parents worked hard all their lives, paid their bills and have no outstanding debts but they were never able to put away a lot in savings. Won’t Medicare and his supplemental insurance pay for his care? Where do we get information on what to expect regarding their finances?
Answer: The first question to address is the Medicare payment option for your father’s care. Medicare does not cover the cost for custodial care or long-term care nor was it ever intended to do so when Congress along with the leadership of President Johnson created the program under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. The focus was primarily to provide health insurance for individuals 65 years of age and older. Medicare only pays for care in a nursing home for short-term rehabilitative services and skilled services to improve or maintain an individual’s condition (after a 3 day qualifying stay in a hospital and physician orders). Read more…
Source: EagleTribune.com, February 3, 2014
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