Paying for a nursing home or home health in 2026
What Medicare.gov says Original Medicare pays, and a calculator that applies its 2026 skilled nursing facility amounts to a stay. Facts and arithmetic only; Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid and private insurance work differently.
Skilled nursing facility care (short-term)
“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.” (Medicare.gov) “Many nursing homes also offer skilled nursing facility care.” (Medicare.gov)
The stay must follow a qualifying hospital stay. “This means a prior medically necessary inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days in a row (starting the day you were admitted as an inpatient, but not including the day you leave the hospital).” (Medicare.gov) “Time you spend at the hospital under observation or in the emergency room before you're admitted doesn't count toward the 3-day qualifying inpatient hospital stay, even if you're there overnight.” (Medicare.gov) “You enter the SNF within a short time (generally 30 days) of leaving the hospital.” (Medicare.gov)
“What you pay for each benefit period in 2026 depends on how long you’re getting skilled nursing facility care” (Medicare.gov):
- Days 1–20: You pay $0 each day after you pay the $1,736 deductible.
- Days 21–100: You pay $217 each day.
- Days 101 and beyond: You pay all costs.
Source: Medicare.gov, Skilled nursing facility care. “You don’t have to pay the Part A deductible for skilled nursing facility care if you already paid it for care you got in a hospital during the same benefit period.” (Medicare.gov) “If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may be charged copayments during the first 20 days.” (Medicare.gov)
| Days | Deductible | Days 21 to 100 | Illustrative cost-sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,736 | $0 | $1,736 |
| 20 | $1,736 | $0 | $1,736 |
| 30 | $1,736 | $2,170 | $3,906 |
| 60 | $1,736 | $8,680 | $10,416 |
| 100 | $1,736 | $17,360 | $19,096 |
| 101 or more | Days 101 and beyond: You pay all costs. | ||
Long-term care
“Long-term care is different from skilled nursing facility care.” (Medicare.gov) “Since most long-term care is non-medical, Medicare and most health insurance, including Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), don’t pay for long-term care services, including care in a nursing home or in the community.” (Medicare.gov)
“Although you’re not eligible for long-term care under Medicare, you may be eligible for it through Medicaid (if you meet eligibility requirements in your state), or you can choose to buy private long-term care insurance.” (Medicare.gov)
Home health
“You pay nothing for covered home health services.” (Medicare.gov) “After you meet the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for Medicare-covered medical equipment.” (Medicare.gov) “In most cases, "part-time or intermittent" means you may be able to get skilled nursing care and home health aide services up to 8 hours a day (combined), for a maximum of 28 hours a week.” (Medicare.gov)