For Hurricane Harvey victims, Medicare to Cover Nursing Home Care

Federal officials have taken action to ensure that Medicare will pay for nursing homes stays for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Generally, Medicare doesn't cover long-term care. But it pays for a limited nursing home stay after someone has been hospitalized and needs rehabilitation. In those cases, Medicare reimburses for the skilled nursing services after someone has been treated in a hospital for at least three days.

Last week, officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a waiver that sets aside the three-day-stay requirement. This move allows Medicare patients to transition to skilled nursing facilities without the worry of who will cover the costs.

Hurricane Harvey forced some Medicare hospital patients to be evacuated. Others were injured or got sick during evacuation, and some have been getting a combination of outpatient treatment and home care prior to Harvey's strike on Texas and Louisiana.

To learn more about the announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, read this story, which was originally posted on Sept. 1  :

http://www.aarp.org/health/health-insurance/info-2017/medicare-nursing-home-hurricane-harvey-victims-fd.html?intcmp=AE-HP-FLXSLDR-SLIDE2