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Long Term Care Covered By Medicare

Does Medicare Cover Long-Term Care?

Long-term care consists of several services that help you meet your healthcare needs. For people with a disability or chronic condition, long-term care provides both medical and non-medical support. Medicare is the primary healthcare insurance plan for a huge number of seniors in the United States.

However, most people assume that it will cover long-term care, but this is not the case. Medicare doesn’t cover the costs for most long-term care services. When Medicare does pay, it only covers limited long-term care. Here, we’ll discuss the type of long-term care services that are covered by Medicare.

Skilled Nursing Care

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) offers services that help treat or manage a health condition. Medicare helps its members pay for their recovery in an SNF. Medicare Part A is responsible for covering short stays at a Skilled Nursing Facility. In the first 20 days, Medicare Part A will cover the entire costs of skilled nursing care.

Then, starting from days 21 through 100, Medicare Part A will pay for all the care you receive, but you’ll have to pay coinsurance per day, which is $185.50 in 2021. Medicare will stop paying after 100 days, so you will be responsible for the total cost of the skilled nursing care you receive.

Home Health Care

This comprises healthcare services that you receive in your home, and Original Medicare will help cover some of the costs related to home health care. Original Medicare will pay for therapists and nurses to provide healthcare services in your home. Some of the services provided during home health care include physical therapy, speech-language therapy, part-time skilled nursing care, occupational therapy, and injectable osteoporosis drugs for women. However, this is not around-the-clock health care. Usually, the services are for no more than 28 hours a week, but you can still qualify for more depending on your doctor’s recommendation.

While Part B typically covers this, Part A coverage will ensue if you have spent at least three successive days in the hospital within 14 days of receiving home care. Medicare covers up to 100 days of daily care or an unlimited amount of periodic care.

Medicare will also cover 20 percent of the cost for durable medical equipment like walkers or wheelchairs.

Hospice Care

This is a special type of care that people receive when they are terminally ill and are in the last stage of their life. Hospice care’s primary focus is to help manage symptoms and provide support. Medicare usually covers the entire cost of hospital care, with the exception of prescription drugs and small copays for respite care.

You can only receive hospice care if your terminal illness is not being treated, and your physician confirms that you probably won’t live longer than six months. After six months, it is possible to still receive hospice care as long as your doctor certifies you are still terminally ill.

For more information about Medicare coverage for long-term care and any other Medicare-related questions, contact Turning 65 Solutions.

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