Does insurance cover nursing home costs?
Many people assume that they will be able to pay for nursing home care with their insurance. Unfortunately, this is likely not going to be the case. In most situations, insurance does not cover nursing home costs. Medicare and the majority of private insurance companies pay for a limited duration of time for skilled nursing care, like having bandages changed if you had surgery and need immediate follow-up care by trained professionals. However, if you only need custodial care — which is the care most seniors need as they get older or develop conditions like Alzheimer’s – then you won’t have coverage through your insurer and will either have to pay out of pocket, have long-term care insurance or get Medicaid to pay for care if you can qualify for Medicaid.