Today, about one-half of seniors can expect to need a stay in a long-term care facility. That proportion is expected to increase to as much as three-quarters as today’s adults become tomorrow’s seniors.
In the United States, there are three main ways that people pay for long-term care:
- coverage through a long-term care insurance policy or the Medicare rehabilitative stay benefit;
- out of pocket; or
- Medicaid.
What about Long-Term Care Insurance When Paying for Nursing Home
Long-term care insurance can be worthwhile to investigate and extremely valuable if needed, but fewer companies are selling conventional long-term care insurance and those that do require higher and higher premiums. The Medicare rehabilitative stay benefit lasts for no more than 100 days at a time (under normal circumstances – COVID-19 has triggered some extensions). The out-of-pocket cost for long-term care in a facility can run as high as $9,000.00 or more each month.
Isn’t Medicaid Responsible for Paying for Nursing Home Care
Given these circumstances, it is not surprising that Medicaid accounts for about one-third of all long-term care facility payments nationally.
However, it is not an automatic benefit.
It can be a critical way for individuals and families seek when paying for nursing home care that Hoosiers need each and every day. Medicaid is a federal program administered by the states, so a Hoosier applicant is subject to Federal law and regulation, State law and administrative code, and the Family and Social Services Administration Medicaid manual which frequently changes. The Medicaid application process can be fact-sensitive, complex and subject to strict document requirements and deadlines. Consulting with a knowledgeable elder law attorney is of paramount importance.
If you are in need of legal advice regarding planning, long-term care, or Medicaid, please contact us at (219)-230-3600 or via email at support@ccsklaw.com. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please click the button below.
About the author
Christopher Ripley is a Valparaiso native and a lifelong Indiana resident. He is the oldest of five children. After graduating from Valparaiso High School, Chris attended Purdue University where he received his B.S. in Mathematics. He then attended law school at Indiana University in Bloomington where he received his Juris Doctorate. Chris has practiced law since 2013 and has served clients across the State of Indiana from Porter County to Evansville in a variety of legal matters. Chris is licensed to practice law in Indiana and Illinois.