Editorial Highlights
Longer-form articles on senior care finance, decision-making, and what Medicaid actually pays for. Companion reading to our state-by-state Medicaid guides.
When In-Home Care Costs More Than a Nursing Home
Aging at home is cheaper than a facility only up to a break-even number of paid care hours — often just 3–4 a day. Here's the math, by state.
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Medicaid Spend-Down by State: Why It Won't Lower Your Bill
Medicaid spend-down doesn't cut what you pay for care — it only unlocks eligibility. In about half the states there's no income spend-down at all. Here's the trust that replaces it.
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Can You Switch Nursing Homes on Medicaid? The Open Bed Is the Real Test
You have a federal right to move nursing homes on Medicaid. The wall families hit isn't eligibility — it's finding an open Medicaid bed. How the transfer actually works.
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Assisted Living Levels of Care: What Sets Your Real Bill
Assisted living 'levels of care' set your monthly bill, not the advertised rate. How the tiers and acuity assessment work, and what to ask before you sign.
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Why a Nursing Home Can Turn Down Your Parent's Medicaid
Nursing homes aren't required to take Medicaid — acceptance is an economic call. How the reimbursement gap, 'Medicaid pending,' and 2026's new rate data work.
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Do Medicaid Work Requirements Apply to Seniors? Who's Exempt in 2026
Nearly every senior on Medicaid is exempt from the 2026 work requirements. But near-seniors and family caregivers aren't — and the paperwork is the real risk.
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Does Medicaid Pay for Home Care? Yes, But It Comes With a Waitlist
Medicaid covers home care in every state, but through capped waivers with waiting lists, while nursing homes are a guaranteed entitlement. The 50-state gap, explained.
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Filial Responsibility Laws: Will You Pay a Parent's Bill?
About 28 states have filial responsibility laws on the books, but they're rarely enforced. Here's the one scenario where an adult child actually gets the bill.
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PACE Program Explained: Medicare-Medicaid's Underused Alternative to Nursing Homes
PACE serves ~100,000 dual-eligible seniors with fully integrated Medicare and Medicaid care — but it exists in only 33 states, and the trade-offs aren't obvious.
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Medicaid Estate Recovery: What States Can Take After Death
Federal law forces states to recover from Medicaid recipients' estates. Here's the federal floor, what 32 states expand beyond it, and who can't be touched.
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Nursing Home Staffing in 2026: How to Read CMS Data Now That the Federal Rule Is Gone
The federal nursing home staffing rule was repealed February 2, 2026. What state-level CMS data shows, the four facility-level numbers families should check, and the state mandates still in force.
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Florida Medicaid LTC Waitlist Explained: 50K+ People, 116K Slots
Florida's SMMC LTC waitlist had 50,000+ people in late 2023 against ~116,000 enrollment slots. Here's how the federal "Factor C" cap and priority scoring decide who moves first.
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