No discussion about Medicaid could begin without a little clarification about Medicare. Most of my clients start out with the mistaken belief that if they have Medicare coverage, they have nothing to worry about if they need nursing home care. Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days of “skilled nursing” care. However, the definition of “skilled nursing” and the other conditions for obtaining this coverage are quite stringent, meaning that few nursing home residents receive the full 100 days of coverage. As a result, Medicare pays for only about 9 percent of nursing home care in the United States. During a period of institutional rehabilitation, Medicare coverage will typically terminate prior to the 100 days, clients and their families will be shocked to learn of the cessation of coverage, and then they will be scrambling to learn about other options.

 

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