How many days of skilled nursing facility care will Medicare pay for?

Medicare covers skilled nursing facility care for up to 100 days in a benefit period. This coverage is designed for beneficiaries who require rehabilitation following a hospital stay or skilled nursing care. To qualify for this benefit, patients must have been hospitalized for at least three consecutive days and must be admitted to a skilled nursing facility within a certain time frame after their hospital discharge.

During the first 20 days of skilled nursing care, Medicare covers the full cost, and from days 21 through 100, there is a daily copayment that the patient is responsible for. After 100 days, no coverage is provided under Medicare for additional skilled nursing facility care until the patient qualifies for a new benefit period, which requires another qualifying hospital stay.

Options that suggest fewer or more days than 100 are not aligned with Medicare's established guidelines for skilled nursing facility care. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the specific duration of coverage provided by Medicare.