Learn This Guide to Senior Health Benefits – Options and Costs
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes provide convalescent and/or rehabilitative care to those with chronic illnesses or following a hospital stay. Basic, skilled, and sub-acute care are all options.
A physician’s order is required for admittance to a nursing home, as opposed to assisted living.
State licensing and regulation apply to nursing facilities. Registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs) must offer care (LPNs).
Intermediate care facilities (ICFs) offer eight or more hours of nurse supervision each day, whilst skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) provide medical services around the clock.
The average monthly cost of a semi-private nursing home stay in the United States in 2018 was $7,441. The cost of a private nursing home was $8,365. Private cash, long-term care insurance policies, and/or Medicare and Medicaid can all be used to pay for fees.
Hospice and End-Of-Life Medical Care
Hospice services and programs have expanded their end-of-life care alternatives during the last several decades. Hospice care is available to anyone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, has exhausted all curative medical treatment, and has six months or fewer to live.
It can be given in the patient’s own home, a hospital, a hospice facility, or a nursing home.
Hospice care offers emotional and spiritual assistance for patients and their families in addition to palliative treatment.
Medicare covers more than 80% of hospice patients in the United States. Medicare pays for all drugs and medical supplies needed during hospice care. Hospice can also be covered by commercial insurance, employer-sponsored coverage, and Veterans Administration and Department of Defense programs.
Additional Senior Health Care Options
The Partnership for Long-Term Care program, which is available in 43 states, combines private long-term care insurance with Medicaid long-term care coverage.
The arrangement permits potential Medicaid recipients to keep more of their assets while remaining eligible for benefits. The PACE Program combines Medicare and Medicaid coverage for seniors who would rather receive medical, social, and long-term care at home rather than in a nursing home. It is sold in 28 different states.
