Medicare Laws & Nursing Homes

Medicare laws interact with nursing homes in a number of ways. Payment, treatment and evaluation of nursing homes are among them. Nursing homes also must conform to certain federal laws to receive funds from Medicare.

Medicare Coverage

• Medicare coverage for nursing homes is limited. Medicare will cover skilled nursing care and physical therapy, if a minimum hospital stay is met. The hospital stay must be at least 3 days. This falls under Medicare Part A, and there are copays unless you have additional coverage.

Medicare Evaluation Tools

• Medicare's website, Medicare.gov, has a number of resources to evaluate nursing homes. This includes a checklist and a tool for comparing different nursing homes. It also provides information on nursing home alternatives, including home health care.

Complying With Medicare for Funding

• Skilled nursing homes rely on Medicare as one of their funding sources. To qualify, skilled nursing homes must complete what's called a Standard Survey. A Standard Survey is conducted by the state in which the facility is located, and it addresses the quality of each nursing home.