Assisted Living facilities and communities can greatly increase the quality of life of senior residents who may have lived alone at home, or who were perhaps sick or disabled and were having trouble living a fulfilled life at home independently. The medical help, daily assistance and communities that assisted living facilities offer can be a fulfilling home for seniors, and keep the burden of their daily care off of their loved ones shoulders.

So, assisted living will provide the round-the-clock care that seniors may not be able to receive at home. However, because of these extra services, the cost of assisted living facilities can be more expensive than at-home care. Assisted living can oftentimes be covered by long-term-care health insurance, employee benefits programs, and Medicaid.

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How To Pay For Assisted Living: Medicare and Medicaid
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To have assisted living coverage added to your health insurance plan, you may need to get a prescription from a doctor or other medical order. 

Although Medicaid and Medicare generally do not pay for permanent or long-term assisted living expenses, there are scenarios where these government programs can help cover the costs of Assisted Living. Medicare, which is the government-funded health insurance available to all senior U.S. citizens over the age of 65, can sometimes cover temporary assisted living situations depending on certain conditions.

HUD, or the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, also provides housing vouchers for government-supported assisted living facilities and also provides qualifying seniors low-income housing tax credits.

The government-supported assisted living facilities are facilities that receive financial grants and aid from the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, which then passes those savings onto qualified residents by accepting qualifying seniors into their facilities. 

The average cost of assisted living in the United States ranges from $30,438 to $80,400 per year. This range is the average, so there are less expensive and more expensive facilities. The cost of facilities depends on whether the facility is totally private, or if it receives government funds. It also depends on which state the facility is in, and which neighborhood it is in as well. 

The median average cost of assisted living in the United States breaks down to $4,300 per month. Additional expenses can be added on top of the base cost when expanded and more personalized services are requested by the senior.

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By Admin