How many days does Medicare cover in a nursing home?
Medicare pays for skilled nursing care and not long term custodial care. Skilled care is different from basic personal or custodial care, such as assistance in walking, getting in and out of bed, eating, and dressing, bathing, and taking medicine. Medicare Part A will not pay for custodial care if that is the only kind of care you require. After a related three-day inpatient stay, Medicare Part A will pay all of the cost for the first 20 days in a skilled nursing facility and part of the cost for days 21-100. It pays none of the cost after 100 days.
