How to Manage Long Term Care

Medicare's coverage of long-term care is quite specific and limited. Generally, Medicare is designed to help with short-term medical expenses rather than long-term care needs. Here's how it works:

1. Skilled Nursing Facility Care: Medicare Part A can cover a stay in a skilled nursing facility, but only under certain conditions. It's for situations where you need high-level, skilled nursing or rehabilitation services after a hospital stay of at least three days. Medicare covers up to 100 days per benefit period, with the first 20 days fully covered and a daily co-payment required for days 21 through 100. It's important to note that this is for recovery and rehabilitation, not long-term or custodial care.

2. Home Health Care: Medicare may pay for short-term, intermittent, or part-time home health care if you're homebound and a doctor certifies that you need skilled nursing care or therapy services. This can include physical therapy, speech-language pathology, or continued occupational therapy services. However, this is also not for long-term, custodial care.

3. Hospice Care: For individuals with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of 6 months or less, Medicare covers hospice care, which can be provided in the home. This includes pain relief, symptom management, and support services, but it's focused on comfort, not curing an illness.

Medicare does not cover:

• Long-term care in assisted living facilities.

• Custodial care, if that's the only care you need. Custodial care refers to assistance with daily living activities, like bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom, when no skilled medical care is needed.

Many people look to other sources to help cover long-term care costs, such as long-term care insurance, personal savings, or Medicaid for those who meet certain financial criteria.