Why do I need Medi-Cal for nursing home care? Doesn’t Medicare pay for that?

Medicare and Medi-Cal are different governmental programs, both of which can be used to pay for nursing home care. Medicare is health insurance that is federally-funded and available to those 65 and over or are disabled. There are no income or resource requirements for Medicare. Medicare will pay for up to 20 days of skilled nursing home care after three days of hospitalization. Medicare will also pay for additional nursing home care days past day 20, up to a limit of 100 days, with a daily co-pay and only if the individual continues to show improvement in the condition that sent them to nursing care. Anyone in skilled nursing home care past 100 days must either pay on their own for the care (“private pay”) or apply for Medi-Cal. Once approved, Medi-Cal will pay for skilled nursing home care indefinitely, regardless of whether the patient improves or not. Monthly expenses for skilled nursing home care averages around $8,000 monthly in California, but very often in practice can cost between $10-15,000 monthly.

If you think it’s confusing, you’re not alone. Getting older is not for the weak! We’d love to help you out if you need more information. Give us a call or schedule a free consultation today!

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