For Medicare Long-Term Care, how many days of skilled care does Medicare cover 100%?

Medicare covers 100% of skilled care for a duration of 20 days when a beneficiary receives care in a skilled nursing facility, following a qualifying hospital stay. This coverage is part of Medicare Part A benefits, designed to assist individuals who require skilled nursing or rehabilitation services as a result of illness or injury.

For the initial 20 days of skilled care, there is no co-payment required from the patient, allowing timely access to necessary medical services without the burden of cost during that initial critical period of recovery. After the 20 days, if further skilled care is needed, Medicare will still cover the services but requires a daily co-pay from the beneficiary for the remaining days up to a maximum of 100 days in total.

This structure emphasizes the importance of utilizing Medicare’s benefits efficiently during the critical early days of recovery when a patient is most in need of skilled nursing care.