Medicare usually doesn't pay for long-term care, but it does help pay for skilled nursing or home health care for rehabilitation after certain types of care. Although Medicare doesn't cover assisted living, you'll continue to pay for all services approved under Parts A and B, such as hospitalizations, doctor visits, procedures, and exams. No, Medicare doesn't pay for assisted living. For residents of assisted living facilities, Medicare support is generally limited to health care-related expenses, such as doctor visits and on-site therapy.
It cannot be used to pay for daily living costs, such as room and board, or to help with activities of daily living (ADL), such as bathing and dressing. For these services, you or your loved one will need to use private payment methods, such as personal savings or retirement funds. Free Medicare help is provided through a program called SHIBA (Health Insurance Benefit Assistance for the Elderly). Some military veterans and their surviving spouses who receive a VA pension may be eligible for help and assistance benefits that help them pay for care in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or within their own home.
Resources For Living is not available to members of Aetna Part D plans (by prescription only), dual eligibility special needs plans (d-SNP), special needs plans for chronic conditions (C-SNP), institutional plans for special needs (i-SNP), or Medicare supplement plans. Because assisted living isn't considered a medical need, it's not included in original Medicare coverage. In most states, Medicaid helps pay for some assisted living services, with different eligibility requirements. Assisted living centers provide older adults with an opportunity to maintain their independence for as long as possible before needing the more intensive, full-time care provided by nursing homes. Some services provided in an assisted living home may also be included in your Part A coverage.
And while Medicaid doesn't pay for the room and board costs of assisted living, many states do offer exemption programs to help cover some personal care and other support services provided in an assisted living environment. No, Medicare does not pay for a short-term stay in assisted living, since assistance with personal care tasks is not considered medically necessary. And if you recently moved to an assisted living home, Medicare will still cover the same services it provided before you moved. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that allows people to choose how they live as they age.
These specialized nursing homes allow older people to live independently and, at the same time, provide them with the help they need. It's a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps people meet their health needs in the community instead of going to a care facility. Assisted living expenses can also vary depending on the services provided and the specific services a resident needs. And while a Medicare Advantage plan doesn't cover room and board in an assisted living facility, some now include benefits related to long-term services, such as in-home patient care and adult day care.
