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Learn about how Medicaid provides coverage for nursing home care, including eligibility rules and more. While Medicaid benefits vary from state to state, nursing home coverage is a mandatory Medicaid benefit.
While Medicaid coverage can vary from state to state and each state can offer some optional benefits, there are certain Medicaid benefits that are mandatory under federal law. Nursing home coverage is among those mandatory Medicaid benefits.
Medicaid nursing home coverage is also sometimes referred to as Institutional Medicaid.
Nursing home care is the highest level of long-term care. Residents of nursing homes receive 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living in addition to medical care and physical, occupational and speech therapy.
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A nursing home is designed for individuals who can no longer live independently in their own homes and require around-the-clock care.
Medicaid’s long-term care benefits depend on the type of care being received.
For nursing home care, Medicaid provides coverage of four fundamental expenses:
The above coverage must be provided in any Medicaid-certified nursing home facility that accepts Medicaid to any resident who meets the eligibility criteria. Not every nursing home accepts Medicaid.
In order to qualify for Medicaid nursing home coverage, individuals must be:
In addition to the above criteria, all applicants must meet both financial and functional limits in order to qualify for Medicaid’s nursing home coverage. The exact specifications of each criteria may differ by state.
You must have income and countable assets that are below certain guidelines. While the exact numbers may vary by state, general guidelines are a maximum monthly income of around $2,500 to $3,000 and no more than $2,000 to $2,500 worth of countable assets for 2024 eligibility. Again, the income and asset limits will vary from one state to the next.
Countable assets do not include your primary home, one vehicle or other furniture and personal belongings such as family heirlooms or jewelry.
You can further explore the state-specific Medicaid income and asset limits.
In addition to meeting the income and assets limits of your state’s Medicaid program, a “nursing home level of care” is required to qualify for Institutional Medicaid. There is no federal definition of this level of care, so each state Medicaid program will define it differently.
The ability to complete daily activities, medical needs, cognitive issues and behavioral problems are often included, and an evaluation of the applicant is typically conducted to assess their functional eligibility.
Many residents of nursing homes still bring in some money in the form of inheritances, stimulus checks or other means. Residents are entitled to a modest personal needs allowance that can vary by state.
Neither the Medicaid program nor the nursing home may seize any money or assets accumulated by a resident. Medicaid may simply stop providing coverage for the nursing home, or the beneficiary may spend down their assets on approved purchases in order to remain under the financial limits for continued eligibility.
Medicare does not provide coverage of nursing home care or certain other forms of long-term care if the only type of care that is needed is assistance with activities of daily living. There are instances in which Medicare Part A will cover skilled nursing care administered in a nursing home when ordered to be medically necessary.
Skilled nursing care is covered by Medicare when administered in a skilled nursing facility.
Because each state may have slightly different guidelines for eligibility and enrollment, it’s best to contact your state Medicaid program for information about you can apply for nursing home coverage.
Individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid are considered “dual eligible” and may qualify for a certain type of Medicare Advantage plan called a Special Needs Plan.
One particular type of Special Needs Plan is a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP), which are designed to meet the specific needs of those with limited income and resources.
You can compare plans online to find out if D-SNPs are available where you live, or you can call to speak with a licensed insurance agent for information about eligibility and enrollment.
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
..Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
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Your Medicare guide will arrive in your email inbox shortly. You can also look forward to informative email updates about Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
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