The University of Michigan’s 2024 National Poll on Healthy Aging found that more than half of Americans aged 50 and older felt ‘very concerned’ about the costs associated with home care, assisted living, or residential skilled nursing.1
This makes it the joint number one health-related concern for seniors (alongside the cost of medical care, which 56% of seniors were also ‘very concerned’ about).¹
Fortunately, there are more ways to pay for skilled nursing care than out of pocket. Most seniors aged 65 and older who’ve paid taxes in the U.S. qualify for Medicare², and this can often cover a short-term skilled nursing stay, significantly reducing the financial strain.
What Is Medicare?
Medicare is a federally funded health insurance in the U.S. It’s available to seniors aged 65 and older, as well as some younger people with specific disabilities and long-term health conditions.
There are two Medicare options you can choose from:
- Original Medicare covers Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). With Original Medicare, you also have the option to add on a Medicare drug plan to cover Part D (prescription drugs).3
- On one hand, Original Medicare covers Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance), with the option to add on a Medicare drug plan for Part D (prescription drugs). On the other hand, Medicare Advantage is a Medicare-approved plan delivered by a private company, usually including Parts A, B, and D as standard, and may offer extra benefits like vision, dental, and hearing care.³
Does Medicare Cover Skilled Nursing?
Short-term skilled nursing is often covered by Medicare, but not long-term residential skilled nursing. Other programs like Medicaid or private long-term care insurance plans may be able to cover longer stays in a skilled nursing community.⁴
Which Part of Medicare Covers Skilled Nursing?
Under certain conditions, Medicare Part A (included in both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage) covers short-term skilled nursing following a hospital stay.
These conditions include:
- You must have days left to use in your Medicare Part A benefit period.
- You must have a qualifying inpatient hospital stay.
- Your healthcare provider must agree that daily skilled nursing or rehabilitation is needed to improve or maintain your condition (or to prevent its worsening).
- In most circumstances, you must move into the skilled nursing community shortly after leaving the hospital (within 30 days).
- You must go to a Medicare-certified skilled nursing community.
You can find more details on these conditions by visiting the Medicare official website here.⁵
What Skilled Nursing Services are Covered by Medicare?
Medicare may cover a whole host of skilled nursing services, including:
- A semi-private bedroom
- Daily meals
- Skilled nursing care
- Rehabilitation (e.g., physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy)
- Medications, medical supplies, and equipment
- Dietary counseling
To be covered by Medicare, a service must be deemed necessary for managing your condition or meeting your defined health goal.
What Can Skilled Nursing Help With?
Skilled nursing facilities in Queens offer short-term and long-term specialized nursing care. Short-term nursing care typically supports patients following a stay in the hospital. For example, patients recovering from a fall, surgery, or cardiac event may move to a skilled nursing community to recuperate. This way, they can receive competent medical care and other treatments like physical therapy in a more comfortable and homelike setting to aid recovery. On the other side, long-term skilled nursing is a great option for seniors with chronic health conditions that require complex medication administration, around-the-clock monitoring, and diligent supervision from nurses and other medical professionals.
Skilled Nursing at Chapin Home for the Aging
Chapin Home provides both long-term and short-term skilled nursing care. Our team of dedicated Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nursing Assistants support long-term residents and short-term skilled nursing patients around the clock.
Highly personalized care plans mean seniors can recover from their illness, injury, or surgery in comfort and outside of the hospital without sacrificing the expert medical care they need and deserve. With an on-site wound care specialist, plus cardiac, surgical, and hydration programs, we offer specialized, holistic care to meet a range of needs.
We also have a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center, offering on-site physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy for short- and long-term residents. Our rehabilitation experts support seniors recovering from a range of acute health events and surgeries, including strokes, heart attacks, injuries from accidents or falls, joint replacements, amputations, and more.
Does Chapin Home for the Aging Accept Medicare?
We want as many seniors as possible to access our compassionate, skilled nursing care. Chapin Home for the Aging is, therefore, proud to participate in both Medicare and Medicaid programs. We have a dedicated Medicaid Expediter to help with the process (find out more about Medicaid for long-term skilled nursing here).⁶
We also accept a range of private insurances, Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC), Health maintenance organization plans (HMOs), and Private Pay. This flexibility allows seniors and family caregivers to choose whichever option works best for them.
So, whether you’re looking for urgent short-term care for yourself or a loved one following a hospital stay or long-term residential, skilled nursing care for a senior with chronic health conditions, Chapin Home for the Aging can offer the tailored support they need in a warm and truly caring environment.
Contact us today to organize a tour of our loving community, which has been trusted by Queens’ seniors and family caregivers for more than 150 years.
References
- Kullgren J, Solway E, Roberts S, et al. On their minds: Older adults’ top health-related concerns. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/id/a545edb4-c825-4e82-8906-2be765a65220/0368_NPHA-Top-10-report_FINAL-05-02-2024.pdf. Published May 2, 2024. Accessed August 20, 2024.
- Medicare.gov. What does Medicare cost? Accessed August 20, 2024. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/what-does-medicare-cost.
- Medicare.gov. Parts of Medicare. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/parts-of-medicare#:~:text=Medicare%20is%20federal%20health%20insurance,with%20limited%20income%20and%20resources.
- Medicare.gov. Long-term care. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care.
- Medicare.gov. Skilled nursing facility care. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/skilled-nursing-facility-care#:~:text=Medicare%20will%20only%20cover%20care,need%20to%20get%20SNF%20benefits.
- Medicaid.gov. Nursing facilities. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/long-term-services-supports/institutional-long-term-care/nursing-facilities/index.html.