PRIVATE PAY
Assisted Living Facilities
Nursing Homes
Home Care Agencies
• They all take cash
MEDICARE
Assisted Living Facilities
• Medicare DOES NOT pay for
ALF care
Nursing Homes
• Medicare DOES pay for nursing home
care, but only for a short period of
time after hospitalization to Medicare-
Certified nursing facilities
• Medicare DOES NOT pay for LTC in a
nursing home
HOME CARE AGENCIES
Home Health Agencies/Nurse Registries
Skilled Health Care - given by RN’s & LPNs
Medicare DOES pay for home health
care, but only for part-time or “intermittent”
skilled care
• Medicare DOES NOT pay for full time
LTC for home health
Personal Care - given by HHAs
Medicare DOES NOT pay for personal
care when this is all the care you need
(must be with skilled care) and DOES
NOT pay for LTC personal care
Homemaker/Companion Agencies
Medicare DOES NOT pay for chore
and sitter services when this is all the
care you need and DOES NOT pay for
LTC chore and sitter services
Hospice Care
• Medicare DOES pay for hospice care
MEDICAID
Assisted Living Facilities
• Medicaid DOES pay for assisted
living facility care with the following
programs*:
• Assistive Care Services (ACS)
• Assisted Living for the Elderly
Medicaid Waiver (ALE)
• Nursing Home Diversion Waiver (NHD)
• Other state program that DOES pay for
Assisted Living Facilities
• Optional State Supplemental (OSS)
This is not a Medicaid program
*Recipient must meet both functional and financial
criteria for eligibility for all programs. Not all ALFs
participate in these programs. Recipient must be
in a participating eligible ALF to receive benefits.
Ways to Pay For Care
We have created an easy tool for
understanding what programs and
services are available to pay for different
types of Long-Term Care (LTC.) Once
you learn the basics in this section, go
to our website at PolkElderCare.com for
more information.
This Section Includes:
• Private Pay
• Medicare/Medicaid
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage
• Veterans
www.PolkElderCare.com 75