People With Medicare

Differences with Medicaid and private insurance/pay while in a nursing home

If Medicaid is covering your stay in the nursing home:
Medicaid will work the same for you if you are in a nursing facility, at home or in assisted living. You will want to read the section on Medicaid for more details about the changes.

If your stay is longer than 100 days and you are paying for it - or if private insurance is paying:
If your stay is covered by a private insurance policy, call the insurance company’s customer service to find out what it covers for drugs in the nursing home.

If you have drug coverage through a Medigap plan, employer/union plan, or state pharmacy assistance program (SPAP), contact that plan to find out if it will cover your drugs in the nursing home and how the plan will change in 2010.

Your Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage should cover your drugs while you are in the nursing home if other Medicare coverage is not paying for them already.

Your social services department can help you find out more.

Continue
Preparing

The material on the Medicare.gov site may make more sense if you read this information first:

These sections explain terms such as deductibles, cost-sharing, coverage gap and other information you will find on the Medicare site.

 

When you
are ready

Find and compare specific plans on the Medicare site. Enroll in a plan when you are ready.

Find out if you qualify for Extra Help with Costs

 

Print these instructions for using the Medicare.gov Prescription Drug Plan Finder