What it is
Medicare is often misunderstood as a source of long-term care funding. In reality, Medicare covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care following a qualifying hospital stay, a limited amount of home health, and hospice.
It does not pay for custodial long-term care — the day-in, day-out help with dressing, bathing, transferring, and supervision that most people mean when they say "long-term care."
Understanding what Medicare does and does not cover is the baseline for every family's plan. Assuming it will handle a chronic care event is one of the most common — and costly — planning errors.
Medicare Advantage plans may add narrow supplemental benefits, but they don't change the fundamental limits on custodial care.
Every Medicare-eligible person, as a starting point — but not a long-term care funding plan on its own.