Financial Help
Financial Help
Paying for nursing home care can be very demanding for your family. However there are several options for paying for this care. Here are some common questions. For more detailed questions please contact Miss Lee at our facility and she can guide you every step of the way and will discuss each option with you.
What Nursing Home Costs Will Medicare Cover?
In many cases, Medicare will pay for nursing care, but only for a short period of time, and only for an illness or condition that meets Medicare's requirements:
Medicare covers a very limited amount of nursing home care. The coverage is available under Part A. Coverage is only available for up to 100 days of care, and only if the individual was first in a hospital for at least 3 days and receives daily skilled nursing or therapy in the nursing home. If coverage is available, coverage is for all services; there is no deductible, but there is a daily co-insurance payment due from the beneficiary.
Nursing Home Coverage and Cost Sharing - 2011:
Deductible: $0
Days 1 - 20: $0 co-insurance payment due from Medicare beneficiary
Days 21 - 100: $137.50 a day co-insurance payment due from Medicare beneficiary
How can I get extra help with Medicare costs?
If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for certain programs that help with medical expenses. These services include Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, and other federal, state, and local programs. To find out about these programs and how to qualify, contact our Business office manager or your State Medical Assistance office. The government is also providing extra help with prescription drug costs. People with limited income and resources can take advantage of reduced premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
Sabrina will help you with all forms and questions!
What Is The Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid?
Medicare and Medicaid are the two health care programs that pay for long-term care, either at home, in assisted living facilities, or in a nursing home. Many Arkansans are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. MEDICARE is the nation’s largest federal health insurance program, covering nearly 40 million Americans. Both employees and their employers pay taxes into the Medicare program, and beneficiaries of Medicare also pay monthly premiums for Part B (physician and outpatient hospital services). Since it is a federal program, it is basically the same everywhere in the United States. Medicare provides services to people age 65 or older and those under age 65 that the Social Security Administration has judged to be disabled for 2 years or longer.
To find out if you qualify for Medicare in a nursing home, contact our Business Office Manager OR Call: 1-800-MEDICARE.
If you enter a nursing home as a Medicare patient, but believe you are also eligible for Medicaid services, contact the Arkansas Department of Human Services to apply for Medicaid nursing home coverage. Medicaid will cover all Medicare co-payments or deductibles if you are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
MEDICAID is separate from Medicare. It is a joint federal and state health care assistance program that pays for custodial long-term care services for people who meet the income and assets eligibility requirements. Since this is a state-run program, eligibility and coverage vary from state to state.
In 2005, Medicaid paid for at least 73% of all long-term care in Arkansas nursing homes. To See if you qualify for Medicaid in a nursing home, contact your local Department of Human Services Office.
If you are already Medicaid eligible, you must still apply for Medicaid long-term care services. Eligibility for care in a nursing home is not automatic.