Does Medicare cover nursing home care?
Usually only for a short, skilled stay — and never for long-term custodial care. That distinction decides most of the money questions families bring to a nursing home.
The short answer
Medicare Part A pays for up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility (SNF) care per benefit period if you had a qualifying inpatient hospital stay, but it covers custodial care — help with daily living — not at all. Long-term nursing home residents are typically covered by Medicaid or private funds instead.
What qualifies
- An inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 consecutive days (observation status does not count).
- Admission to a Medicare-certified SNF within 30 days of discharge.
- A doctor orders skilled care (nursing, rehabilitation) on a daily basis, and the facility certifies it is medically necessary.
What Medicare pays
In 2026, days 1–20 are covered in full after the Part A hospital deductible. Days 21–100 carry coinsurance of about $217 a day. Coverage is per benefit period — it resets after 60 days out of hospital care. Check the current figures at Medicare.gov, and note that a Medicare Advantage plan can set its own SNF rules and network.
Skilled care versus custodial care
Skilled care means services that only licensed nurses or therapists can provide: wound care, intravenous medication, physical or speech therapy after a stroke or fracture. Custodial care is help with eating, dressing, bathing, toileting and supervision. Custodial care is what most long-stay nursing home residents need — and it is the part Medicare does not pay for.
When Medicare stops paying
Coverage ends when the person's condition stops improving, when skilled services are no longer needed, or at 100 days. Options then: Medicaid if eligible, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, or private pay. Ask the facility's social worker to start the next application early.
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