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Wednesday, May. 21, 2025

Fact brief: Are over half of nursing home residents supported by Medicaid?

Kathryn Miller, Fort Worth Report
yes

Medicaid pays for 62% of long-term care residents in nursing homes. 

Medicaid is a public health insurance program for Americans with limited financial means.

It covers nursing home care only for eligible beneficiaries and when no other payment options are available. 

Medicaid covers nursing home costs as long as the level of care is necessary. Some services include room and board, nursing care, personal hygiene supplies, meals, and prescription and over-the-counter medications.

If eligibility requirements are met, Medicaid will pay 100% of nursing home costs.

In 2024, the median private nursing home room cost over $100,000 a year. 

Even for those not in nursing homes, Medicaid is essential for long-term care. In 2021, Medicaid and Medicare accounted for nearly 65% of long-term care services nationwide. 

Total U.S. Medicaid spending was $860 billion in fiscal year 2023. Texas spent over $57 billion.

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

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