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Independent CMS data publisher. Not Medicare. Not an insurance agency. No plan pays for placement.Independent CMS data publisher. Not Medicare, not an agency, no paid placement. What we do · Disclaimer

Does Medicare cover long-term care?

Not covered under Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)

Original Medicare does not cover non-medical long-term care — help with bathing, dressing, eating or using the bathroom, whether at home or in a nursing home. This is the largest uncovered exposure in Medicare.

CMS public dataReported, not recommendedNo paid placement

“Non-medical long-term care”

— Medicare.gov — What's not covered

The exception

Medicare covers skilled nursing facility care for a limited period after a qualifying hospital stay, and skilled home health care — both only while skilled care is needed, never for custodial care alone.

How likely is this to happen to you?

Nobody can tell you your own number, and any site that quotes you one is guessing. What is known is the distribution, from HHS’s research on Americans turning 65:

52%of people turning 65 will develop a disability serious enough to need long-term services and supports
48%will never use any paid long-term care at all
~1 yearis the average duration of paid care among those who use it; about half need less than a year
5.9%will need five or more years of paid care
17%— about one in six — will spend more than $100,000 out of pocket on long-term care after 65

One in six people will spend more than $100,000 out of pocket on long-term care. Medicare covers none of it. Nobody knows which six.

Source: HHS ASPE — Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Americans: Risks and Financing.

Can a Medicare Advantage plan cover this?

No. No Medicare Advantage plan covers custodial long-term care — help with bathing, dressing, eating or using the bathroom — whether at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home. Some plans file in-home support or adult day benefits, which are not the same thing and do not substitute for it.

There is no Medicare Advantage benefit for this, so there is nothing on this site that closes the gap. People generally cover long-term care through Medicaid (after spending down assets to their state's limit), private long-term care insurance, VA benefits if they qualify, unpaid help from family, or their own savings. We list those without recommending any of them; a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor advises on them free of charge.

What plans in your county filed

Every individual Medicare Advantage plan filed with CMS for your county, with the supplemental benefits each one reports. Reported, not recommended.

    Before enrolling or making a coverage decision, confirm current details with the plan, Medicare.gov, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). MedicareBenefits.care reports CMS-filed data and does not verify provider networks, pharmacy participation, or final plan terms.

    Sources: Medicare.gov — What's not covered · last verified 2026-10-02. Coverage rules change; we re-check these dates each year and when CMS or Medicare.gov revises a rule.

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