Medicare Payment of Nursing Home Care 

To qualify for Medicare payment of nursing home costs under the traditional Medicare rules you:

• Must have a three day hospital stay within 30 days of your nursing home admission and be admitted to the nursing home for the same reason for which you were hospitalized.

• Must require skilled care.

• Medicare pays 100% of the costs for the first 20 days.

• From days 21-100, there is a daily co-payment of $128.00 (for 2008).

• The maximum benefit period is 100 days per spell of illness.