Does Medicare Pay for Assisted Living?

Generally, no. Medicare is a medical insurance program and does not cover the custodial, non-medical care that makes up most of assisted living -- help with bathing, dressing, meals, and daily supervision. Medicare can cover specific medical services a resident receives while living in assisted living, such as doctor visits, physical therapy, or a covered home health visit, but it does not pay the facility's monthly rent or care fees. This is a common and understandable point of confusion, since Medicare does cover a short-term stay in a skilled nursing facility under specific conditions -- a very different setting and situation from ongoing assisted living residency.