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 to talk through next steps.
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.
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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)
- Medicare.gov: Long-term care coverage
- Medicare.gov Care Compare (nursing homes, home health agencies, hospice)
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, Median Cost Data Tables (survey July to November 2025; median cost data tables, published March 2026)