Florida Elder Law Blog - A blog by Elder Law Associates, South Florida's premier elder law attorneys, who handle elder law, medicaid planning, guardianships and much, much more.
Long term care is often a painful necessity for most of us. And paying for long term-care is not easy. Most people would not choose to live in a nursing home; however, sometimes it is unavoidable. The average monthly cost of nursing homes in our area exceeds $6,500. Assisted Living and home care are also very expensive.
Over the next few weeks, though, I will share a few common misconceptions about long-term care and why they are not true.
Myth #1 - Medicare will cover my nursing home billNot true. Medicare is a federal program that provides very limited coverage for certain short-term nursing home stays but no coverage for long-term care in a nursing home.
Many people confuse Medicare with Medicaid, since the names are very similar; however, the programs are very different. Medicaid is a means-tested program, which has very strict income and asset requirements. Medicaid will pay for long-term care if you qualify. Medicare will not pay for long-term care. This may seem unfair, but it is the law.
--Howard Krooks, JD, CELA
