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.
Day 101: What Happens When Medicare's Nursing Home Benefit Runs Out
Most families don't think about Day 101 until they're on Day 95. Here's what actually happens when Medicare's nursing home benefit ends — and the decisions you need to make before it does.
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How to Pay for Nursing Home Care With Social Security (State-by-State Math)
When your parent qualifies for Medicaid nursing home coverage, their Social Security income goes almost entirely to the facility. Here's the exact math for every state.
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Medicaid Redetermination: Do 6-Month Renewals Hit Seniors?
The 2027 move to twice-yearly Medicaid redeterminations skips seniors on long-term care — but a missed annual renewal is still how most of them lose coverage.
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How to Read Nursing Home Ratings After 2026's CMS Changes
Three CMS changes since July 2026 moved nursing home star ratings without the care changing. How to read the data now — and the red flags that still hold.
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Medicaid Retroactive Coverage Is Shrinking in 2027
In 2027 a federal cut trims retroactive Medicaid for nursing-home care from three months to two. The lost month costs far more in some states than others.
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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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