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How much does Medicare actually pay?

Medicare does not cover custodial care. Custodial care is care that helps you with usual daily activities like walking, eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring.

Medicare does pay for short term skilled nursing care up to 100 days, but only after at least 3 days immediately prior to entering a nursing facility. Skilled nursing care is not the same as long term care. Skilled care is health care given when you need skilled nursing or rehabilitation staff to manage, observe, and evaluate your care. Examples of skilled care include changing sterile dressing and physical therapy. It is given in a SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility). Care that can be given by nonprofessional staff is not considered skilled care.

How much is covered by Medicare?

For Days	Medicare Pays for covered Services	You Pay for covered Services
1 - 20	Full Cost	Nothing
21 - 100	All but a Daily Co-payment *	A Daily CO-payment *
Beyond 100	Nothing	Full Cost

* The CO-payment is up to $105.00 per day in the year 2003. This can change each year.

Medicare Publications: Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Facility Care.

Medicare & You 2003

Summary of Medicare benefits, rights and obligations, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Medicare. (88 pages)

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Revised 10/1/2002

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