--- title: "Does Medicare Pay for Nursing Home Care? 2026 Rules" description: "Medicare pays for up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, not long-term care. 2026 costs, rules and options." url: https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/medicare-nursing-home/ updated: 2026-10-09 site: Senior Transition Assistance --- Paying for care # Does Medicare pay for nursing home care? Medicare pays for a short skilled nursing stay after a hospital stay. It doesn't pay for living in a nursing home long-term. Here are the rules and the 2026 numbers. Talk it through with a person[ (800) 614-8388 ](tel:+18006148388) Free. We listen, explain your options, and introduce you to a few that fit. You decide. Quick answer Medicare pays for a short stay in a skilled nursing facility when your parent needs daily skilled nursing or therapy after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days. In 2026 days 1 to 20 cost $0 after the $1,736 Part A deductible, days 21 to 100 cost $217 a day, and Medicare pays nothing after day 100 in a benefit period. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care in a nursing home. [(800) 614-8388](tel:+18006148388) to talk through next steps. **Last updated October 9, 2026** Costs are published medians or typical ranges with a named source, never quotes. Every community and agency prices differently. **On this page** 1. [ What Medicare covers in a nursing home](#g-what-medicare-covers-in-a-nursing-home) 2. [The rules that trip families up](#g-the-rules-that-trip-families-up) 3. [What Medicare doesn't cover](#g-what-medicare-doesn-t-cover) 4. [Who pays for long-term nursing home care](#g-who-pays-for-long-term-nursing-home-care) 5. [Questions](#g-faq) ## What Medicare covers in a nursing home When the rules are met, Medicare Part A covers a semi-private room, meals, skilled nursing, therapy, medications, medical supplies and medical social services during the covered stay. | Days in a benefit period | What you pay in 2026 | |---|---| | Days 1 to 20 | $0 each day after the $1,736 deductible | | Days 21 to 100 | $217 each day | | Day 101 and after | All costs | Medicare Advantage plans may have different copayments and may waive the 3-day hospital stay. Check with the plan. ## The rules that trip families up - **The 3-day inpatient stay.** It must be 3 days in a row as an admitted inpatient. Observation days and time in the emergency room don't count. - **Skilled need.** Coverage continues only while your parent needs daily skilled nursing or therapy. - **Not "up to 100 days, guaranteed."** Coverage can end well before day 100 if skilled care is no longer needed. ## What Medicare doesn't cover Long-term care in a nursing home, meaning help with daily living when that's the main need, isn't covered by Medicare or by Medigap. In 2025 the median nursing home cost was $8,669 a month for a shared room in Kansas and $6,741 in Missouri (CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025). ## Who pays for long-term nursing home care - **Private funds.** - ** Medicaid**, which pays for long-term nursing home care for people who qualify. In Kansas it's KanCare; in Missouri, MO HealthNet. - **Long-term care insurance**, if your parent has a policy. - **VA benefits**, including VA community living centers and state veterans homes for eligible veterans. See [veterans benefits](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/veterans/). ### Facing a discharge or a long-term decision? We'll help you understand the options and find places near you. Free. [ (800) 614-8388 ](tel:+18006148388)[Have us call you](#g-form) ## Questions families ask ### How many days will Medicare pay for a nursing home? Up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care per benefit period, when the rules are met. Days 21 to 100 have a daily coinsurance ($217 in 2026). ### Does Medicare pay for nursing home care for dementia? Not for long-term custodial care. It can pay for a short skilled stay if your parent needs daily skilled care after a qualifying hospital stay. ### What is a benefit period? It starts the day your parent is admitted as an inpatient and ends after 60 days in a row without inpatient hospital or skilled nursing care. ### How do I check a nursing home's quality? Use Medicare's Care Compare for star ratings, staffing and inspection results. ## Sources - [Medicare.gov: Skilled nursing facility care (2026 costs)](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/skilled-nursing-facility-snf-care) - [Medicare.gov: Long-term care coverage](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care) - [Medicare.gov Care Compare (nursing homes, home health agencies, hospice)](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/) - [CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, Median Cost Data Tables (survey July to November 2025; median cost data tables, published March 2026)](https://pro.genworth.com/riiproweb/productinfo/pdf/282102.pdf) ## Related guides - [Paying for it](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/) - [Skilled nursing facilities](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/skilled-nursing/) - [Assisted living vs. nursing home](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/assisted-living/vs-nursing-home/) - [Does Medicaid pay for assisted living?](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/medicaid-assisted-living/) - [What it costs](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/costs/) - [Bridge loans](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/bridge-loan/) - [How to pay for assisted living](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/how-to-pay-for-assisted-living/) - [Life insurance](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/life-insurance/) - [Long-term care insurance](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/long-term-care-insurance/) --- Canonical page: https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/medicare-nursing-home/