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Does Medicare Cover Custodial Care

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Medicare Coverage Of In

Choosing quality Medicare coverage

In-home health care may be covered if its medically necessary. It must also be part-time or intermittent, which rules out full-time and long-term care in the home. Home health services such as skilled nursing care, home health aide services, physical and occupational therapies and medical social services are covered by Part A and/or Part B.

Medicare doesnt cover non-medical care and services provided in the home, including meal deliveries. Homemaker services and personal care, such as help with chores and assistance with the activities of daily living, may be covered only when provided alongside other medically necessary care.

Medicare Coverage Of Nursing Homes

Medicare Part A covers skilled nursing care provided in approved facilities when its medically necessary. As such, nursing home care is covered if its required to diagnose or treat an illness, injury, disease or other medical condition. However, custodial care is never covered by Medicare, and thus a nursing home stay will not be covered if its the only type of care a person requires.

Money Follows The Person Program

The MFP Program provides financial assistance to the states to help them transition individuals who live in nursing homes from the nursing home back into their communities. While this program does not provide direct financial and care assistance to individuals, it does expand the options available to nursing home residents. This program is currently available in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the MFP Program here.

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Where Can I Find Custodial Care Near Me

You can easily find all of your local options for custodial care here in our directory or by simply giving us a call on our helpline. We are here to answer any questions you may have about custodial care.

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Medicare Advantage May Offer More Comprehensive Coverage

Does Medicare Cover Custodial Care?

Private insurance companies run Medicare Advantage. Those companies are regulated by Medicare and must provide the same basic level of coverage as Original Medicare. However, they also offer additional coverage known as supplemental health care benefits.

These benefits can be used to cover the cost of health care or medical equipment that could reduce the risk of injury, reduce the impact of lost mobility or injury or help a person maintain their health and independence.

Medicare Advantage covers many services that are excluded from original Medicare. Individual insurers are permitted to exercise discretion when deciding what services to offer under supplemental benefits, so Medicare Advantage customers should contact their insurers to discuss their options before deciding on a care plan.

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Does Medicare Pay For Home Health Care Coverage

Medicare covers the expenses of having an agency give part-time or intermittent health care services in the patients home, but this coverage is limited, and the patient must need skilled assistance. The following conditions must be met to qualify for Medicares home health care benefit:

  • It must be approved as medically necessary.
  • The treatment must be authorized by a physician.
  • The level of intermittent care required and supplied must be skilled care.
  • A Medicare-certified home health agency must provide the care.
  • The patient must be bedridden, which means that leaving the house takes a lot of effort and is done only rarely.

Medicare will pay for medical social services, home health aide services, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment used in the home for qualifying patients. However, custodial home health care is not covered by Medicare.

Custodial Care Vs Skilled Nursing Care

Custodial care is very different from skilled nursing. Skilled nursing care is for seniors who are in need of medical assistance while they are recovering from a procedure or a senior who is receiving hospice or palliative care. Skilled nurses are trained in medical procedures and have been licensed to provide limited medical services to seniors or other patients. In addition, skilled nurses work under the direction of a team of medical professionals who are knowledgeable about the specific needs of their charge. Skilled nurses are able to administer medication, care for wounds, offer physical therapy and insert catheters. Custodial caregivers, on the other hand, are not trained or allowed to perform any of the tasks provided in skilled nursing facilties, but are able to assist only with basic care and living needs.

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Medicare Basics: Parts And Coverage

Medicare is split into three basic parts: Parts A, B, and D. Part A is hospital insurance while Part B is medical insurance and Part D is prescription drug coverage. There are two other options as well: Medicare Advantage, originally called Part C and designed as an alternative to Parts A and B, and Medigap, a supplement to Parts A and B that fills in gaps in insurance and is sold by private insurance companies.

Medicare doesnt cover elective procedures such as cosmetic surgery, and theres a deductible for each hospital stay or other covered service. As such, most members will have out-of-pocket costs even in cases where all services are medically necessary and covered by Medicare.

Payment Options For Senior Custodial Care

The Stoler Report – Navigating the Maze: Social Security, Medicare, Long Term Care

There are a few ways families can arrange payment for custodial care. Many traditional long-term care insurance plans will include a payment benefit for informal caregivers that offer custodial care for the senior in question. Make sure to sit down and go over the policy carefully to determine if such care is covered. If you are uncertain, a quick call to the insurance provider can clarify any lingering questions. You should be aware that some policies will only cover skilled nursing care, so make sure that you are choosing the right type of care that is covered by your loved one’s policy.

Veterans benefits will cover some if not all custodial care services. When those services are given in the home or in a VA hospital, 100% of care is covered. In some cases, SSI disability recipients are able to avail custodial care benefits. The most common question regarding payment options is if the care is covered by Medicaid or Medicare. Medicare may pay for short term custodial care that lasts for 99 days or less if requested by a medical professional and paired with skilled nursing care. In general, custodial care benefits are not provided for the long term.

Medicaid does cover custodial care if the senior meets the financial requirements. The caveat is that this care must be availed while the senior is housed in a senior care facility, nursing home, or memory care community. In special cases, adult daycare for seniors or homemaker custodial care services may be provided.

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How Can I Pay For Long

If you need coverage beyond 100 days of skilled nursing care, or if you need help with the cost of nursing home care, you may have other options:13

  • Medicaid: Depending on your income, you might qualify for Medicaid. This could help you cover some of the costs of long-term care. Medicaid coverage and eligibility requirements vary from state to state.
  • Social Security Administration programs: Some programs offered through Social Security could help cover some costs associated with long-term care for people with disabilities. Depending on your medical condition or income, you might qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income .
  • Long-term care insurance: 1 possible source of coverage for nursing home services is long-term care insurance. These are plans offered through private insurance providers. Details of coverage and costs may vary from plan to plan.

Could Nursing Home Care Be Right For Me

If you need a place to recuperate and get specialized care, a skilled nursing facility could be the solution. But its also a costly one.

With Medicare Part A, you can receive at least partial coverage for up to 100 days. Make sure to familiarize yourself with Medicares rules and regulations to get the care you want. If you qualify, Medicare has a tool on its website to help you locate a nursing home.

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What Are Other Payment Options

If Medicare will not pay for rehabilitative care or long-term care in a nursing home or elsewhere, your alternatives include:

Private payment

You or your family may opt to pay for such care out of pocket. The national average cost for a private nursing home room is $280 a day. This rate ranges from $185 in Oklahoma to $994 in Alaska.10 Once you sell off all assets and exhaust all your financial resources, you can turn to Medicaid to help pay for nursing home care.

Medicaid

Medicaid pays a large portion of U.S. nursing home bills. States administer this federal needs-based program for residents who lack resources for medical needs. You must qualify financially and medically. Eligibility varies by state but requires limited income and assets. You can contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program about eligibility.

Long-term care insurance

If you have long-term care insurance and your policy covers it, you may use it for nursing home care. Check the terms of your contract for any elimination or waiting periods and for the amount of your daily benefit.

Veterans Administration

If you have VA health benefits, you may inquire how you can access long-term care benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Skilled Nursing Facilities Rules More Complex

Medicare Coverage of Custodial Care

The rules involving Medicare and nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities are more complex.

Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage will pay for the cost of skilled nursing, including the custodial care provided in the skilled nursing home for a limited time, provided 1) the care is for recovery from illness or injury not for a chronic condition and 2) it is preceded by a hospital stay of at least three days.

For the first 20 days, Medicare will pay for 100% of the cost. For the next 80 days, Medicare pays 80% of the cost. Skilled nursing beyond 100 days is not covered by Original Medicare.

Individuals who have a Medicare Advantage plan have at least the same coverage as mentioned above, and perhaps, have additional coverage. In addition, persons with certain types of Medicare supplemental insurance can get additional assistance towards defraying the cost of nursing home/skilled nursing care. Some plans will cover 100% of the coinsurance payment required by Medicare. This means that between Medicare and the Medigap plan, 100% of the cost of skilled nursing for 100 days will be covered.

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Medicare Coverage Of Residential Senior Care

For seniors, residential care such as assisted living communities is often the next best thing to living independently in their own home. Unfortunately, assisted living isnt directly covered by Medicare in any of its Parts or Plans.

Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly are available to Medicare and Medicaid members in some areas of the country. PACE doesnt directly cover assisted living, but residents of these communities and are eligible for PACE can receive some covered services.. However, PACE programs and Medicare dont cover assisted living room and board costs.

Does Medicare Pay For Nursing Homes

En español | Medicare does not cover any type of long-term care, whether in nursing homes, assisted living facilities or peoples own homes.

Of course, Medicare covers medical services in these settings. But it does not pay for a stay in any long-term care facilities or the cost of any custodial care , except for very limited circumstances when a person receives home health services through a Medicare-approved agency.

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The Real Cost Of Nursing Home Care

Nursing home care is not cheap. The average monthly cost in the United States for a shared room in 2019 is $7,513 per month. For a private room, it is $8,517 per month.

The average nursing home costs a resident $09,155 per year for a shared room and $102,200 for a private room.

Those numbers can vary based on where you live. The five most expensive states are Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Hawaii, in that order, with some nursing homes in Alaska costing as much as $32,219 per month!

The least expensive states for nursing home care are Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Kansas, and Arkansas, with average monthly rates in the $5,000s.

To put this in perspective, the average payout for Social Security retirement benefits in December 2016 was $1,474.77 per month for a grand total of $17,697.24 per year.

Based on these numbers, it is not surprising that few people can pay for nursing home care on their own. Where can people turn to get coverage for nursing home care? What are your options?

How Can I Protect My Home

Medicare & You: Nursing Home / Long-Term Care
  • Execute a Durable Power of Attorney with trust creation authority, gifting and real estate transfer clauses.
  • Leave nothing in your “probate estate” when you die.
  • For those who die after January 1, 2017:
  • Unless you are survived by an exempt individual, do estate planning to ensure that your estate will not be subject to probate.
  • If receiving nursing home or certain Home and Community-Based Services, consider transfers. A Medi-Cal recipient can transfer any exempt property to anyone prior to death without impacting eligibility for Medi-Cal.

Because Medi-Cal laws will be changing significantly on January 1, 2017, and there will be a number of low-risk estate planning mechanisms to avoid recovery, it is important to consider tax consequences and the risk of losing your home prematurely before any outright property transfer.

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The Cost Of Custodial Care For Seniors

If you or your loved one has determined that a non-medical custodial caregiver will suffice at this time, there are a few considerations that will ultimately determine how much care will cost.

  • Will you be using an agency or hiring an individual yourself? Agencies can cost a bit more, but they do all the legwork to ensure that only quality caregivers are employed.
  • Will you be seeking in-home care, adult day care, or an assisted living/residential community?
  • Will the assistance be part-time, full-time or on an as needed basis?
  • If hiring an individual on your own, will you plan to offer bonuses and raises?
  • Where do you live? Of course, the higher the cost of living in your area is, the more care is likely to cost.
  • Does the beneficiary suffer from a memory disorder, have mobility issues or another condition that calls for more in-depth caregiver experience?

While all of these will factor into the final cost of custodial care, here are some national averages from 2017 concerning the estimated costs of custodial care for seniors.

  • Homemaker Non-Medical Providers $3,994 per month
  • Non-Medical Home Health Aides / Personal Care Assistants $4,099 per month
  • Adult Day Care $1,517 per month

While not commonly utilized for non-medical custodial care situations, some seniors opt to start with these options to maintain continuity in care. These are the average costs associated with facility style living arrangements.

When Does Medicare Cover Nursing Home Care

Medicare will not usually cover services that help with everyday life functions, such as assistance with dressing, eating or going to the bathroom.1 Generally, if the care you receive in a nursing home does not require a degree to provide, Medicare wont cover it.2 However, Medicare Part A may provide coverage for skilled nursing facility care thats medically necessary .3

Note: If you have a Medicare Advantage plan , contact your insurance carrier. You may have extra benefits for vision, hearing and dental that Original Medicare doesnt cover.4

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Does Medicare Provide Long Term Coverage

Youve probably thought about long-term care and nursing homes at some point in your life, but you likely put them in the back of your mind. We get it its not something most people look forward to.

But even if you or a loved one have many years before possibly moving into a nursing home or assisted living facility, its important to start thinking about how you might pay for it. Medicare, unfortunately, doesnt cover most long-term care.

Lets dive into the different types of long-term care and what your coverage may look like.

Medicaid Includes Coverage For Assisted Living Costs

Does Medicare pay for assisted living?

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that may provide some coverage for assisted living. Not everyone qualifies for Medicaid. The types of care covered by Medicaid and income qualifications for the program vary from state to state. Visit for more information on what Medicaid covers in your area.6

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