How to Pay for Skilled Nursing Care in Louisiana

The short version

Most families pay for skilled nursing through a mix of Medicare (short-term), Medicare Advantage (short-term), Medicaid (long-term), and private insurance. Below is a short description of how each one works in Louisiana.

Medicare

Medicare Part A covers a stay in a skilled nursing facility after a qualifying 3-day inpatient hospital admission when your healthcare provider or physician determines that you would benefit from daily skilled care. Skilled care includes skilled nursing services such as intravenous fluids/medications, daily wound care, or physical, occupational or speech therapy treatment. What you pay during a Medicare Part A covered skilled stay depends on how long you are getting skilled nursing facility care.

Costs look like this:

• Days 1-20: Medicare covers all costs, unless you have not met your benefit period inpatient hospital deductible.
• Days 21+: Medicare covers most costs; you pay a daily coinsurance ($217/day in 2026). Your care team will work with you to determine the length of this period, but there is a maximum of 100 days allowed.

Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage plans cover medically necessary short-term stays in a skilled nursing facility and often require prior approval from the Insurance Provider. Each Medicare Advantage plan is unique to the Insurance Provider and type of plan you have. Some plans are very similar to Medicare Part A and have copayments that start on day 21, some plans have copayments that apply to the entire stay — call us and we will verify the details of your specific plan.

Louisiana Medicaid

For long-term stays beyond what Medicare covers, Louisiana Medicaid is the most common payer. Eligibility is based on income, assets, and medical need. Cherry Ridge is Medicaid-certified and our admissions team can help you start the application.

Long-term care insurance

If you purchased a long-term care policy, it may help with out-of-pocket expenses for routine nursing facility care. Most policies require the policyholder or patient representative to file a claim with the insurance provider. You may need to cover the costs upfront, but once approved, the policy may reimburse covered expenses or pay benefits up to a daily or monthly limit. Coverage amounts, waiting periods, eligible services, and payment methods vary by policy. You should contact the insurance company for exact benefit details and let our business office know how we can support you or your loved one with the claim.

Private pay

You can also pay privately for the entirety of your stay. We would be happy to arrange a meeting with you to discuss your or your loved one's financial arrangements and options.

What to do next

Call (318) 281-6933 and ask for our admissions team. We will review your situation, confirm coverage, and explain expected out-of-pocket costs before admission, so there are no surprises.