Does Medicare Pay for a Nursing Home Stay?

It can, but only for a specific, time-limited situation — not for an ongoing, custodial nursing home stay. Medicare Part A can cover up to 100 days in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility per benefit period, but two conditions have to be met first: the stay must follow a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least three days, and the care being provided must be skilled care — such as physical therapy, wound care, or IV medication management — that a doctor has certified is medically necessary, not simply custodial help with daily activities. Coverage also isn't flat across all 100 days: Medicare covers the first 20 days in full, then requires a daily coinsurance amount from day 21 through day 100, and stops paying entirely after day 100. This is a very different scenario from an ongoing long-term nursing home stay for custodial care once skilled therapy is no longer medically needed — Medicare doesn't cover that at all, which is where Medicaid or private pay typically takes over. See our related FAQ on whether Medicare pays for assisted living for how this compares to a different care setting entirely.