Skilled Nursing Care

What it is: Facilities providing 24-hour medical care and supervision, typically after a hospitalization or major health event. Some seniors transition to long-term skilled nursing care.

Best for: Seniors requiring ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, or a high level of clinical care.

Typical costs: About $13,000–$16,000 or more a month in Washington. Washington medians (CareScout 2025 survey) are about $13,155 a month for a semi-private room and about $15,970 for a private room; actual prices vary by area. Medicare covers a short skilled stay only after a formal inpatient hospital stay of at least three days in a row (observation days and ER time do not count): days 1–20 in full, $217 a day for days 21–100 in 2026, and nothing after day 100. Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care. Apple Health (Medicaid) may cover long-term nursing home care for people who qualify.

What's typically included: Skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy, physician oversight, meals, and personal care.