Question 1

Medicare Costs

Accepted Answer

Every time you go to the hospital, you have to pay a certain amount of your hospitalization costs, unless your visits are separated by fewer than 60 days. If that’s the case, you pay the deductible only the first time. If you stay in the hospital longer than 60 days, you will be required to pay a copayment every day for days 61 through 90.
You also have a lifetime reserve of 60 days that can be used in conjunction with more than one extended stay. These days also have an associated copayment. Medicare won’t cover any stays longer than 90 days once you have depleted your 60-day reserve.

Question 2

Will Medicare Pay for Skilled Nursing Care?

Accepted Answer

Medicare will pay for the first 20 days of skilled nursing care, but only after you’ve been in the hospital for three days. This means you’ll have paid at least the deductible for that three-day stay. From the 21st day through the 100th day, Medicare will cover some of the costs of skilled nursing care, but you still have a copayment. After 100 days, Medicare will not pay for skilled nursing care, and you must bear the full cost. The 100 days are per benefit period.

Question 3

What About Medigap?

Accepted Answer

Medicare supplemental insurance, or “Medigap,” is designed to pick up where Medicare stops. As such, it usually pays the deductibles and copayments required by Medicare. Coverage will vary according to the benefits outlined in each specific policy.
Medigap insurance may not pay for any additional procedures that aren’t specifically addressed by Medicare. Most policies will only help to cover the deductibles and copayments imposed by Medicare.

Question 4

What About Long-Term Care?

Accepted Answer

Medicare provides only limited coverage for skilled nursing care and pays for only up to 100 days of care following a three-day hospital stay. Medigap doesn’t fill the gaps in this coverage.
If you are concerned about meeting your potential long-term-care needs, you should look into additional insurance to help fill in the gaps. In many cases, it may be best to consider purchasing a private long-term-care insurance policy to help protect against these potentially devastating costs.

Question 5

Am I Prepared for Long-Term-Care Expenses?

Accepted Answer

In general, Americans are not sufficiently prepared to pay for long-term care. Many of them go through their lives simply hoping that they won’t ever need it. Unfortunately, in the event that you or a loved one does need long-term care, hope won’t be enough to protect you from potential financial ruin.
Also, the odds that you will need some kind of long-term care increase as you get older.

Question 6

The Medicaid Option

Accepted Answer

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that covers medical bills for the needy. If you qualify, it may help pay for your long-term-care costs. Unfortunately, Medicaid is basically welfare. In order to qualify, you generally have to have few assets or will need to spend down your assets.
State law determines the allowable income and resource limits. If you have even one dollar of income or assets in excess of these limits, you may not be eligible for Medicaid.
To receive Medicaid assistance, you may have to transfer your assets to meet those limits. This can be tricky, however, because there are tough laws designed to discourage asset transfers for the purpose of qualifying for Medicaid. If you have engaged in any “Medicaid planning,” consult an advisor to discuss any new Medicaid rules.

Question 7

Long-Term-Care Insurance

Accepted Answer

A long-term-care insurance policy may enable you to transfer a portion of the economic liability of long-term care to an insurance company in exchange for the regular premiums.
Long-term-care insurance may be used to help pay for skilled care, intermediate care, and custodial care. Most policies pay for nursing-home care, and comprehensive policies may also cover home care services and assisted living. Insurance can help protect your family financially from the potentially devastating cost of a long-term disabling medical condition, chronic illness, or cognitive impairment.
A complete statement of coverage, including exclusions, exceptions, and limitations is found only in the policy.

Question 8

Long-Term-Care Riders on Life Insurance

Accepted Answer

A number of insurance companies have added long-term-care riders to their life insurance contracts. For an additional fee, these riders will provide a benefit — usually a percentage of the face value — to help cover the cost of long-term care. This may be an option for you.

MEDICARE

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