Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care

 Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers  skilled nursing care for a limited time (on a short-term basis) if all of these conditions apply:

• You have Part A and have days left in your  benefit period  to use.
• You have a  qualifying inpatient hospital stay.   
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people may be able to get renewed SNF coverage without first having to start a new benefit period. 
  • If you’re not able to be in your home during the COVID-19 pandemic  or are otherwise affected by the pandemic, you can get SNF care without  a qualifying hospital stay.
• Your doctor has decided that you need daily skilled care. You must  get the care from, or under the supervision of, skilled nursing or  therapy staff.
• You get these skilled services in a Medicare-certified SNF.
• You need these skilled services for a medical condition that’s either:
  • A hospital-related medical condition treated during your  qualifying 3-day inpatient hospital stay (not including the day you  leave the hospital), even if it wasn't the reason you were admitted to  the hospital. 
  • A condition that started while you were getting care in the SNF  for a hospital-related medical condition (for example, if you develop an  infection that requires IV antibiotics while you're getting SNF care)
    .

You pay this for each benefit period:

• Days 1–20: $0  coinsurance per day
• Days 21–100: Up to $200 coinsurance per day 
• Days 101 and beyond: All costs

Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get  services more often than Medicare covers. Or, they may recommend  services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to  pay some or all of the costs. Ask questions so you understand why your  doctor is recommending certain services and if, or how much,  Medicare  will pay for them.

Skilled care is  nursing and therapy care that can only be safely and effectively  performed by, or under the supervision of, professionals or technical  personnel. It’s health care given when you need skilled nursing or  skilled therapy to treat, manage, and observe your condition, and  evaluate your care.

Medicare-covered services in a skilled nursing facility include, but aren't limited to:

• A semi-private room (a room you share with other patients)
• Meals
• Skilled nursing care
• Physical therapy (if needed to meet your health goal)
• Occupational therapy (if needed to meet your health goal)
• Speech-language pathology services (if they're needed to meet your health goal)
• Medical social services
• Medications
• Medical supplies and equipment used in the facility
• Ambulance transportation (when other transportation endangers your health) to the nearest supplier of needed services that aren’t available at the SNF
• Dietary counseling