Methods of Payment
- Long term Care Insurance - Pays for long term care (home care, assisted living, memory care & nursing homes)
- Military Veterans VA Aid & Attendance
- Care must be for the Veteran or his/her surviving spouse
- Must be 60% housebound
- Must financially qualify (this is a needs-based pension)
- Must have been active during a wartime period and have been honorably discharged
- World War II: Dec 7 1941-Dec 31, 1946
- Korean Conflict: Jun 27, 1950-Jan 31, 1955
- Vietnam Era: Aug 5 1964-May 7, 1975. Veterans who served Feb 28, 1961-Aug 5, 1964 must-have served “in-country” (Vietnam).
- Persian Gulf War: Aug 2, 1990-date to be prescribed by presidential proclamation or law Must have served on active duty for 2 years.
- Private pay (out of pocket by the person needing care or their family)
- Medicaid
- Pays for long term care (home care, assisted living HCBS & nursing homes – not accepted at every facility)
- Most places have a 12 – 36 month spend down
- Private Health Care Insurance (Example: Kaiser, United Healthcare, Secure Horizons, Humana, Etc )
- Pays for acute care: Doctor visits, hospital care, tests/screenings, rehab, homecare, hospice, medications
- Medicare
- Pays for acute care: Doctor visits, hospital care, tests/screenings, rehab, homecare, hospice, medications
Cost Comparison
The most amount of care received in most ALF is around 15-20 hours a week.
- Avg ALF = $4,300/mo
- Avg In-Home Care = At $30/hr, 20 hours of care in the home = $2,600/mo
- Avg ILF = $2,552/mo
- Avg SNF = $8,821 (private room), $7,756 (semi-private room)
These averages are national averages some states can be more or less.
Additional Information
- Independent Living options for low income and Section 8 are hard to find. There are long waiting lists that range from 6 months to 3 years. Prices vary $238 to $603 per month.
- Most Independent Living options are month to month and require a 60 day notice to move. Some have longer lease periods. The prices range from $1,500 to $6,000 depending on the community you choose.
- Most Assisted living communities are a month to month contract with a 30 day notice if you want to move. The prices range from $1,895 a month to $6,000. The average price is $4,000. Some are all inclusive of care and others have care charges on top of the monthly rent.
- The majority of Independent and Assisted Livings have a one time, non-refundable community fee that is charged at move in. The community fees range from $900 to $15,000. The average is $3,000. For couples that move into Independent and Assisted livings there is a second person fee and those range from $600 to $1,500 a month.
- Skilled Nursing costs range from $220 a day to over $400 a day depending on the community you choose. $6,600 to $12,000 a month.