Following are the types of In Patient Facilities:

Long Term Acute Care Hospital

Long Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACH) are for patients who may be medically stable but too ill for a skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility.  Patients are typically medically complex and require diverse medical services designed for catastrophic illnesses.  Focused nursing services and therapy include; ventilators, tracheostomies, extensive respiratory treatments, telemetry and wound care.  Most patients will receive these services for 25-30 days before being discharged for additional rehabilitation.

LTACH's are expensive due to the level of care and treatment provided.  For that same reason coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, VA and most insurance fall under your inpatient hospital care benefits for these services.   Health insurance will also cover costs in a LTACH, however, benefits and coverage can vary tremendously.  Please call your insurance company to verify which benefits your policy covers and to obtain a list of preferred providers or contact the facility to assist you with this process and determine which insurance policies they accept.  Long Term Care insurance does not cover services provided in in-patient facilities.

Acute Rehabilitation Facility

An Acute Rehabilitation Facility provides intensive inpatient therapy driven care.  Designed for medically stable patients with a high potential for functional improvement, a patient must be able to endure a combination of physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy for 3 hours a day, six days a week.  The aggressive programs in an acute rehabilitation facility enables patient who have suffered some major injury or illness to regain skills to return home in 20 days or less.

Siimilar to LTACH's, Acute Rehabilitation Facilities are expensive due to the level of care and treatment provided.  For that same reason coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, VA and most insurance fall under your inpatient hospital care benefits for these services.    Health insurance will also cover costs in an Acute Rehabilitation Facility, however, benefits and coverage can vary tremendously.  Please call your insurance company to verify which benefits your policy covers and to obtain a list of preferred providers or contact the facility to assist you with this process and determine which insurance policies they accept.  Long Term Care insurance does not cover services provided in in-patient facilities.

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Facility

A nursing home provides daily skilled nursing services, rehabilitative care and medical services; protective supervision for individuals with cognitive impairment; and full assistance with activities of daily activities such as eating, bathing, using the bathroom, or dressing.   Nursing services include assessment, treatments, injections, coordination of care, and medication administration. Rehabilitative services such as post-hospital stroke, heart, or orthopedic care are available in addition to related services such as respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. Alzheimer’s/Dementia care, Dental services, dietary consultation, laboratory, x-ray, and pharmaceutical services are also available in most facilities.

Medicare can cover costs of skilled nursing facility care provided certain requirements are met. Skilled nursing facility care averages over $4,000 per month, although it can often be higher depending on the services and care that is required. If one is admitted to a skilled nursing facility for a short period of rehabilitation, the stay may be covered through Medicare provided that one meets eligibility criteria.  If a skilled nursing facility stay is eligible for Medicare reimbursement, Medicare will cover 100% of the cost of care for stays up to 20 days, and a portion of days 21 –100. After the 100th day, one has to pay privately unless insurance, such as a Medigap policy, Medicaid or long term care insurance exists. Health insurance will also cover costs in a skilled nursing facility, however, benefits and coverage can vary tremendously.  Please call your insurance company to verify which benefits your policy covers and to obtain a list of preferred providers or contact the facility to assist you with this process and determine which insurance policies they accept.  You may also be eligible for coverage of skilled nursing facility care through the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Eligibility requirements depend on each person's circumstance and service history.  

Hospice

Hospice services are a concept of care that involves health professionals and volunteers who provide medical, psychological, and spiritual support to terminally ill patients and their loved ones.  A principal aim of hospice is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can remain alert and comfortable as possible.  A typical hospice patient has a life expectancy of 6 months or less.  Hospice services can be provided in the home, hospice centers, hospitals or skilled nursing facilities.

Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and most health and long term care insurance companies cover hospice services if requirements for hospice care are met.  In the case of health insurance, please call your insurance company to verify which benefits your policy covers and to obtain a list of preferred providers or contact the facility to assist you with this process and determine which insurance companies they are in contract with.