Medicare laws interact with nursing homes in a number of ways. Payment, treatment and evaluation of nursing homes are among them. Nursing homes also must conform to certain federal laws to receive funds from Medicare.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare coverage for nursing homes is limited. Medicare will cover skilled nursing care and physical therapy, if a minimum hospital stay is met. The hospital stay must be at least 3 days. This falls under Medicare Part A, and there are copays unless you have additional coverage.
Medicare Evaluation Tools
Medicare's website, Medicare.gov, has a number of resources to evaluate nursing homes. This includes a checklist and a tool for comparing different nursing homes. It also provides information on nursing home alternatives, including home health care.
Complying With Medicare for Funding
Skilled nursing homes rely on Medicare as one of their funding sources. To qualify, skilled nursing homes must complete what's called a Standard Survey. A Standard Survey is conducted by the state in which the facility is located, and it addresses the quality of each nursing home.
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