Does Medicare cover long-term care?
No. Medicare covers only limited, short-term skilled care — not the ongoing custodial care most people need.
This is one of the most common and costly misunderstandings in retirement planning. Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care — the ongoing help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and eating that most people eventually need.
Medicare covers only limited, short-term skilled care: up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility after a qualifying hospital stay, and some home health or hospice care under specific medical conditions. Once you need help mainly with daily living rather than skilled medical care, Medicare coverage ends.
The main ways people pay for long-term care are personal savings, long-term care insurance, and — for those who qualify financially — Medicaid.
General information only. This is educational and not insurance, legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules and products vary and change — confirm the specifics with a licensed professional.
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