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It is important for Medicare beneficia- the diagnosis, the services provided and
ries to understand their skilled nursing the progress of the patient which com-
benefits and the difference between a bined, determine covered length of stay.
rehabilitative stay and long term resi- Therefore, understand that you may not
dency. All too often people are stressed, be eligible for all 100 of those days.
surprised and confused because they When someone has suffered a signifi-
are getting a crash course while in the cant health setback and cannot return
middle of an illness or injury. Do your home or move safely to an assisted
homework in advance, learn about living facility, they often become a LTC
your specific policy coverage and select – long term care or custodial resident
a couple of facilities in your area to in a nursing home. This is often an-
visit, to find nonbiased information other area of surprise for patients and
and facility ratings go to the Agency for families. Once the Medicare days are
Healthcare Administration website, the exhausted or they have met maximum
address is provided at the end of article.
improvement during the stay, the cus-
Nursing homes, sometimes called todial care is not covered by Medicare.
skilled nursing facilities, serve both Costs for nursing home care can vary
long-term residents and people who between $6,000 - $10,000 monthly and
come for a short period for rehabilita- if you find you need financial assistance
tive care (usually after a hospital stay). from Medicaid, you must apply and
Some nursing homes also provide meet the financial and medical criteria,
respite care, which is when a person this is a process.
comes for a short stay, to give relief to a
primary caregiver. Traditional Medicare Selecting a nursing home is an im-
covers 20 days of skilled rehabilitation portant, personal, and often difficult
before copays apply, so depending on decision. Sometimes the selection is the
your supplemental coverage or whether result of deliberate planning, but often
you have enrolled with a Medicare the decision is made during a crisis.
Advantage plan, you may learn that you Having an advance understanding can
have out of pocket expenses. These add be very helpful.
up quickly at a range of $50 - $150 per
day. Medicare also allows up to 100 days http://www.floridahealthfinder.gov/
of coverage for skilled nursing services, reports-guides/NursingHomesFL.aspx
but again there are guidelines and rules,