Will Medicare Pay For Your Long Term Care: Facts You Need To Know

Because of the numerous government programs that are available and being offered to the public, some people are complacent and confident that they do not need to buy any private LTC insurance policy because they can still get some services through these programs. However, they should first ask about the capacity and limitations of Medicaid and Medicare in covering their LTC needs. Will Medicare pay for your long term care? Can you be sure that this is enough to satisfy all your LTC requirements in the future?

One reason why the government and some private sectors encourage the public to get their own LTC plans is because of the fact that they want them to be responsible for their future. Since the amount and rates of these policies increase annually, the risk of having more uninsured individuals in the near future due to the expensive amount of insurance plans is really big and disturbing.

Also, the Medicaid spends big amount of dollars every year just to be able to cover all the LTC-related expenses of its beneficiaries leaving some other services with just enough share of its fund. If more people owns an LTC insurance policy, then the funds of Medicaid can be equally distributed to all the other necessary services that it also covers.

Will Medicare pay for your long term care?

This may probably be one of the common questions that the public has but sadly, not all understands and know how LTC plans and Medicare work. Yes, there might be facilities or services that the Medicare covers but these are very limited and might not even be applicable to all individuals.

Medicare can cover some costs for short-term recovery from an injury or particular disease in a nursing facility of up to 100 days or if the individual’s condition got better even before he maximizes the allowed maximum number of days, then the Medicare will stop paying for his medical expenses.

Those who need to be confined in a nursing home facility indefinitely because they can no longer carry themselves or are having a hard time dealing with their daily activities cannot expect any financial aid from Medicare. Assisted living facilities and adult day care are also not included in Medicare coverage.

Types of care that Medicare cover:
1. Skilled Nursing Facility Care – As mentioned above, Medicare can cover for the individual’s recovery in a nursing facility after a three-day hospitalization period. The coverage can last up to 100 days but the coverage stops as soon as the person’s health gets better.

2. Home Health Care – Medicare will pay the nurses and therapists who will assist you with your recovery in your own home but a doctor must prove that you really need short-term skilled care. They provide a maximum of 35 hours of services weekly.

3. Hospice Care – If the person is at the last stages of his life and a doctor certifies that the individual will only have six months to live, then Medicare will cover his hospice care. This is the kind of care that an individual gets to make his life more comfortable while dealing with a terminal illness.
So, will Medicare pay for your long term care? Given the details above, the answer would be yes and no. Yes because it still pays for other services that an individual might need following strict conditions and no because not all of the basic and important LTC services and facilities are covered.