Quick answer
A skilled nursing facility (SNF) provides round-the-clock nursing care and therapy, either short-term after a hospital stay or long-term for people with serious medical needs. Medicare can cover up to 100 days of skilled care per benefit period after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days: $0 for days 1 to 20 after the deductible and $217 a day for days 21 to 100 in 2026. Long-term stays are mostly private pay or Medicaid. (800) 614-8388 if you are facing a discharge decision.
Short-term rehab vs. long-term care
Most people who go to a skilled nursing facility go for short-term rehab: physical, occupational or speech therapy after a fall, surgery or illness, with the goal of going home or to assisted living. Others stay for long-term care because they need nursing care every day. The same building often does both.
What Medicare covers, and what it doesn't
Medicare covers a skilled nursing stay only when you need daily skilled nursing or therapy and you had a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days in a row. Time spent "under observation" or in the emergency room doesn't count toward those 3 days, so ask the hospital whether your parent is admitted as an inpatient.
| Days in a benefit period | What you pay in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 20 | $0 each day after the $1,736 Part A deductible |
| Days 21 to 100 | $217 each day |
| Day 101 and beyond | All costs |
Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care, the help with bathing, dressing and eating that many nursing home residents need. See does Medicare pay for nursing homes.
What a long-term stay costs
In 2025 the median nursing home cost in Kansas was $8,669 a month for a shared room and $9,064 for a private room. In Missouri it was $6,741 and $7,604. Nationally: $9,581 and $10,798. These are medians from the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025.
How to choose a skilled nursing facility
- Look up each option on Medicare's Care Compare for star ratings, staffing and inspection results.
- Ask the hospital discharge planner for the list of facilities with an open bed, and ask early.
- Visit, or send someone to visit, at mealtime. Watch how staff talk to residents.
- Ask how many therapy sessions a week your parent will get and who decides when rehab ends.
- Ask what happens if they need to stay after Medicare stops paying.
Facing a hospital discharge?
We can help you understand the options and find places with openings near you, on either side of State Line. Free.
Questions families ask
How long will Medicare pay for a skilled nursing facility?
Up to 100 days per benefit period, if the rules are met and your parent keeps needing daily skilled care. Coverage can end sooner if they no longer need skilled care.
Is a skilled nursing facility the same as a nursing home?
Often the same building. "Skilled nursing" describes the medical and rehab care; "nursing home" usually describes long-term residential care.
What if my parent wasn't admitted to the hospital as an inpatient?
Observation stays don't count toward the 3-day requirement. Ask the hospital about your parent's status, and ask about other settings, such as home health care.
Who pays for long-term nursing home care?
Mostly private funds or Medicaid for people who qualify. Long-term care insurance and VA benefits may help some families.
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)