Does Insurance Cover Or Pay For Memory Care

Different Ways To Pay For Memory Care

For starters, it’s important to keep any existing health care or insurance plans active that may help meet your loved one’s care needs. Different insurance policies – including Medicare, private insurance, a group employee plan, retiree health coverage, disability insurance, veterans benefits or long-term care insurance – could contribute toward paying for care.

1. Medicare: Outside of 100 days of skilled services or rehabilitative care for a qualified stay, Medicare does not cover long-term care. Medicare Part A does cover hospital stays, short stays in a nursing home for certain kinds of illnesses and hospice care in the last six months of life – all after a standard yearly deductible. Medicare Part B pays for partial fees for doctor’s services, outpatient care and other medical services not covered by Part A, as well as some preventive services, while Medicare Part D covers some medication costs.
2. MedSup or Medigap: You may find supplemental coverage to be helpful if you are using Medicare for assistance with dementia-related health bills. Although plans and benefits widely vary, it’s worth looking into whether supplemental insurance could help pay for Alzheimer’s and dementia care and related expenses.
3. Medicaid: Memory care patients may qualify for medical care through Medicaid if they can demonstrate very low income and limited assets. Policies include coverage for long-term care.
4. Veterans Benefits: Using the Veterans Aid and Attendance program, veterans and their spouses may qualify for monthly benefits to help with the costs of memory care. It’s important to apply early through the Veterans Administration because the process can take several months to complete.
5. Disability Insurance: A disability policy could provide income for a worker who can’t work due to illness or injury, but the plan would need to already be in place before symptoms of memory loss begin.
6. Employee or Retiree Health Plan: It’s possible to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia long before turning 65, in which case private insurance through a group employee or retiree health plan may help pay for some expenses.
7. Long-Term Care Insurance: In order to utilize long-term care insurance for memory care, a policy needs to be in place prior to diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s. For those who are planning ahead for the possibility of needing memory care, be sure to compare how much a policy pays per day and how many days or years it will pay out.