Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Shingles Vaccination. Accessed March 20, 2025.
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What assisted living costs are covered by Medicare?
Assisted living facilities most often provide custodial care. This type of service is not covered by Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or Medicare Advantage (Part C). Room and board at these facilities is also not covered.
One service that is sometimes covered is skilled nursing care. This includes care from certified health care professionals like injections or physical therapy. If this care is medically necessary, Medicare Part A may cover it.
Conditions for receiving skilled nursing care through Medicare coverage
With Medicare, long-term care is sometimes covered. “Long-term care” is a broad term for services like assisted living. It generally refers to services provided at a long-term care facility that meet a person’s health and personal care needs when they cannot meet them on their own. This can include skilled nursing care. You may qualify for skilled nursing care coverage if:
- You have Medicare Part A and there are days left in your benefit period
- Your time in care is a qualified inpatient stay
- You enter the skilled nursing facility within 30 days of leaving the hospital
- Your health care provider decides you need daily skilled care
- You get your care from a Medicare-certified facility
- You need skilled care for one of the following reasons:
- You have an ongoing condition that was treated during a qualifying inpatient hospital stay
- You have a new condition that began while you were getting skilled nursing care for the ongoing condition
- You need skilled nursing care to make your condition better or keep it from getting worse
If you have long-term care needs, you can learn more about Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs).
Medicare coverage for other assisted living options
Skilled nursing care isn’t the only assisted living service Medicare sometimes covers. Hospice care and in-home care may also be covered in some situations.
Medicare hospice coverage may be offered if:
- You have a terminal illness
- You are not expected to live more than six months
- You are not seeking a cure
Medicare in-home care coverage may be offered if:
- You have trouble leaving home because of an illness or injury
- You are recommended to stay at home due to your condition
- Leaving home is usually not possible because of the effort it takes
Other ways to pay for assisted living costs
Medicare may not cover most assisted living services, but there are other ways to get help paying for them:
- Medicaid – If you have Medicaid, assisted living costs may be partially covered. Medicaid eligibility is based on financial need.
- Social Security programs – Some conditions and income levels may qualify you for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Long-term care insurance – You can purchase a long-term insurance plan from a private insurance company. These plans offer different amounts of coverage for long-term care costs.
Need more information? Learn more about financial assistance programs.