Medicare is a state-funded program which gives assistance to people with very low income and resources deeply in need of long term care. The program has a set of specific requirements applicants need to fulfil to become eligible. And once a person is found eligible, he or she enjoys the following coverage:

First on the list is custodial care. Medicare helps pay for custodial care in every skilled care setting however, it does not provide coverage if there’s an absence of a skilled care plan. The program also covers nursing home. In this type of setting, the patient receives help in activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, eating, toileting and medicating. The program pays for the entire bill as long as custodial services are provided.

Another setting Medicare offers assistance with is home care. With home care, custodial care is also present, an important part of a skilled care plan is. With home care, the patient receives assistance from a nurse or a therapist aside from the custodial services given.

In terms of hospice care, Medicare also provides coverage. In a hospice setting, a doctor, a nurse, a social worker or therapist are always present. However, patients with chronic medical problems are not covered by the program.

Medicare is consists of four parts, Part A is Hospital Insurance, Part B is Medical Insurance, Part C is medical advantage plans and Part D is prescription drugs.

Medicare’s Part A covers inpatient hospital stays and the maximum length of stay is 100 days. The first 20 days are paid in full by the program while the other 80 days requires a co-payment. Medicare’s Part B includes physician and nursing services. It helps pay for some services that Part A does not cover.

Part C, medical advantage plans, required to provide coverage that meets or exceeds the standards set by the Medicare program. This also includes Part D prescription drug benefits. While with Medicare’s Part D, an individual must enrol in a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan. Part D plans are designed and mandated by private health insurance companies.