Are Nursing Homes All the Same?
There are nursing homes that are certified by Medicaid or Medicaid certified nursing facilities. These facilities generally are of three types: long-term care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. Rehabilitation services provide care for persons who suffer an illness, injury or disability when it is determined that rehabilitation can help the individual gain all or part of what might have been compromised.
Skilled nursing services are defined as medical and related care whereas long-term care is a service needed on a regular basis because of a mental or physical condition and requires more than simple room and board. All nursing homes that are Medicaid certified take Medicaid as a form of payment. Medicaid certified nursing facilities provide a range of services as a condition of federal requirements. Some of the services that the resident may not be charged for are routine personal hygiene, maintaining the room and bed, nursing related services, dietary services meeting the specific needs of each resident, pharmaceutical services and emergency dental services to name a few.
If residents request special services such as a private room and services above what is offered in the facility’s Medicaid payment structure, such as personal clothing and social activities outside of the planned facility social program, then the resident will be charged for those services.
Although Medicare does not pay for long-term care stays in a nursing home and many insurances also do not pay for nursing home. It is still prudent to keep your health insurance because it may be needed for hospital and doctor visits.
Nursing homes bill Medicaid on a monthly basis and any services not paid for by Medicaid may be billed to the resident on a monthly basis depending on the amount of their income and deductions.  Be sure to check whether a nursing home is Medicaid certified.
Many persons in nursing home facilities do pay for services out of pocket or from personal savings. Some life insurance companies are so structured that they will pay for long-term care. Talking to your insurance agent or a financial advisor is always a good resource.
An excellent source for gaining information about nursing homes can be found at www.medicare.gov and go to the section on Nursing Home Compare for updated state website information, a guide to choosing a nursing home, nursing home checklist and how nursing home ratings are calculated. Nursing Home Compare is comprised of detailed information concerning every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
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