Yes, Medicare Part A may partially cover up to 100 days in a nursing home if skilled nursing care is required. Medicare won’t cover stays longer than 100 days, and it won’t cover a nursing home stay at all if skilled nursing care isn’t needed. Medicare Part B covers outpatient expenses and won’t cover a nursing home stay. Privately purchased Medicare Advantage plans (Part C), vary widely in terms of coverage, but typically only cover short-term stays in a nursing home if someone needs skilled nursing care.
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Medicare Part A, also called Hospital Insurance, will cover certain short-term stays in nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities to recover from illness, injury, or surgery. A senior must meet several criteria for Medicare Part A, as well as Medicare’s nursing home criteria.
Medicare Part B pays for outpatient care and services and won’t cover a nursing home stay.
Medicare defines three categories of coverage for a nursing home stay: custodial care, skilled nursing, and supplies and equipment.
Custodial care includes assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) including dressing, bathing, and using the toilet. Because this type of personal care is nonmedical, it can be provided by care aides and doesn’t require a nurse or doctor. If custodial care is the only kind of care provided during a nursing home stay, Medicare won’t cover it.[01]
Skilled nursing carerequires the provider to have a degree or certification. Skilled care generally includes:[02]
Medicare typically pays for medical supplies and equipment that someone uses during a nursing home stay, such as:[02]
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For Medicare to pay for a short-term nursing home stay, a senior must:
Medicare Part A will fully cover a senior’s rehabilitative stay in a nursing home for up to 20 days, and partially for days 21 through 100. Medicare stops covering custodial costs after 100 days, but will cover skilled or medical care services after that.
Medicare Part A covers 100% of the costs for the first 20 days of eligible nursing home stays. On day 20, your loved one may have to pay up to $209.50 a day in coinsurance costs.[04] Coverage of nursing home care stops after day 100.[04] If your loved one needs to stay in the nursing home longer, your family may have to rely on other resources to pay for care, such as long-term care insurance.
In 2024, the median monthly cost of a semi-private room in a U.S. nursing home was $9,277.[05] So, even if your loved one paid the maximum of $209.50 in coinsurance for 80 days, they’d pay $16,760 for a full 100-day stay, instead of over $24,000.
Medicare Advantage — also called Medicare Part C — plans can be purchased through private companies based on where your loved one lives. These plans generally accompany Medicare Parts A and B, but provide additional services, such as nonemergency hearing, vision, and dental care.[04]
If your loved one has a Medicare Advantage plan, the plan may cover some of the costs of medical care in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility, but it won’t cover custodial care, help with ADLs, or monthly rent.
Medicare Advantage plans may have different rules regarding coinsurance. In some plans, the first 20 days of nursing home care aren’t fully covered, so the policyholder may have to pay coinsurance expenses beyond $209.50 per day throughout their stay.
Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover individual personal care services. These select few plans cover services with a “functional impact on health issues” and are designed to reduce the need for emergency services later.[04]
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If your loved one needs help once they leave the nursing home, there are multiple potential options to pursue. Assisted living communities also offer safe, supportive residential environments. If your loved one prefers to stay in their own home, in-home care supports their independence while also providing respite for family caregivers.
Reach out to one of A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors to discuss senior living options near you, set up tours, and work through your budget — all at no cost to your family.
Medicare won’t cover the cost of living in a nursing home for someone who has dementia. It does, however, pay for some medical services and equipment related to dementia care. Examples include cognitive assessments, care planning, and some medically necessary custodial services.
Like Medicare, Tricare doesn’t cover custodial care. It may cover certain services and supplies, however. Tricare coverage varies according to the plan though, so it’s important to read policies carefully and understand what they’ll cover, ideally before care is needed.
Medicare won’t pay for custodial care for someone who has Parkinson’s disease, if that’s all that’s needed. However, people who have Parkinson’s often need skilled nursing care, equipment, and supplies that Medicare will pay for.
Yes. Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, will cover all hospice services related to someone’s terminal illness if they meet specific conditions. What Medicare won’t cover is rent or room and board in a long-term care facility, including nursing homes.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Nursing home care.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Skilled nursing facility care.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Inpatient hospital care.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2025). Costs.
Genworth. (2024). Cost of care survey.
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