South Health And Rehabilitation

General Info About Skilled Nursing Homes

What Is Long Term Skilled Nursing?

A Skilled Nursing Facility is a health-care institution that has available nursing care 24 hours a day, the supervision of the care of patients by a physician, the capability to store and dispense drugs, and which meets federal criteria for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.

A Nursing Home may be needed for someone who no longer can live at home safely and requires 24-hour care that may not be medical in nature. Help can be provided including assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, medications, and other activities of daily living (ADLs).

Skilled Nursing Home Insurance Options

Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-term care insurance typically covers the costs associated with nursing home care. Long-term care insurance policies are designed to help offset the expenses of such care, which can be significant. Long-term care insurance policies often have coverage limits, which may be specified as a daily or monthly benefit amount or a maximum lifetime benefit. It's important to ensure that the policy's coverage limits are sufficient to cover the costs of nursing home care in your area. You can learn more about that here.

Veterans Aid & Attendance Benefit

Although Veterans Aids & Attendance can go toward the cost of Nursing Home residency and care, it would not likely be sufficient to cover all of the costs. There is more information about that here.

Medicaid

If a senior needs nursing home care but does not have sufficient funds to pay for it, then that individual can apply for Medicaid. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program in the United States that provides healthcare coverage to eligible low-income individuals and families. It is the largest source of health coverage for low-income Americans. Medicaid covers a wide range of medical services including doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, and long-term care. Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state but generally includes low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities. You can learn more about that here.

General Info About Short Term Rehab (SNF)

What Is Short Term Skilled Nursing Rehab?

A Short Term Rehab Facility, also known as a SNF (pronounced "sniff"), will have professional medical staff who are trained to help speed the rehabilitative process including doctors, registered nurses, audiologists, vocational nurses, and rehabilitation specialists. A SNF may be needed for someone who is ready for discharge from the hospital but not able to return home. The SNF will provide a high level of medical attention with the goal of the patient completing their rehabilitation and returning to their prior living environment.

Short Term Rehab Insurance Options

For the first 20 days for a covered event Medicare will pay 100 percent of the cost. For the next 80 days Medicare pays 80 percent of the cost. After 100 days Medicare makes no payments.

Conditions which have to be met for Medicare to pay include:

• A qualifying hospital stay
• Doctor’s recommendation that daily skilled care is needed
• Part A coverage with days remaining
• Services are provided by a Medicare certified SNF

So, what you pay is:

1. Days 1–20: $0
2. Days 21–100: Approx. $200 Copay each day (typical amount, check with your SNF for an exact number)
3. Days 101 and beyond: You are responsible for all costs but Long Term Care Insurance policies can also help pay if you have it. However, most long-term care insurance policies will have an elimination period that will not pay for the first 60 - 100 days. You can learn more about that here.