How Does Short-Term Rehab After a Hospital Stay Transition Into Longer-Term Care?

After a qualifying hospital stay of at least three days, Medicare Part A can cover a skilled nursing facility rehab stay — fully for the first 20 days, then with a daily coinsurance charge (reported at $217/day for 2026) from day 21 through day 100, after which Medicare pays nothing further in that benefit period. As that 100-day window approaches, the facility's care team, typically alongside a social worker or discharge planner, reassesses whether the resident has recovered enough to go home (often with home health or outpatient therapy) or whether ongoing nursing-facility-level care is still needed. If long-term care is still needed and Medicare coverage is ending, families generally either pay privately, or — if the resident meets Ohio's financial and functional criteria — apply for Ohio Medicaid to cover continued nursing facility care, ideally starting that application process well before day 100 rather than waiting for the benefit to lapse. See how to apply for Ohio Medicaid and our rehab vs. long-term care explainer for more.