Long Term Care, Medicare and Medicaid

"Long-term care" is the care for a person with a chronic illness or disability. Generally, long-term care includes medical and non-medical services provided in the person's home, assisted living facility, or nursing home.

Most people who require long-term care rely on a combination of financial sources to meet their long-term care needs, including: family, friends, private sources and government assistance such as Medicare and Medi-Cal.

Medicare will only cover medically necessary health care. This means that Medicare will not pay for assistance with "custodial care" services such as dressing, bathing and going to the bathroom.

Also, don't confuse Medicare with Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is a state and federal program for people with limited assets and low income. Unlike Medicare, Medi-Cal has the right to seek reimbursement from your estate. The California Department of Health Services website has answers to frequently asked questions about Medi-Cal.

The best time to consider long-term care is before you need assistance. For a list of services to think about, visit the Medicare website.

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