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Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Benefits: The Basic Rules

Adapted from Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Facility Care, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The selected guidance concerns Medicare coverage and payment, not a recommendation for medical treatment. Numbered page references below refer to the linked source publication.

Coverage can depend on medical necessity, the setting, provider participation, and your plan’s rules. Use the cited publication for the full conditions and check the plan year when comparing costs or enrollment choices.

The Basics

What’s a skilled nursing facility (SNF)?

A SNF is a type of nursing facility with the necessary staff and equipment to treat, manage, and observe your condition, and evaluate your care. SNFs are typically part of nursing homes but can also be part of a hospital.

When you’re admitted to a SNF, you may get care from:

  • Doctors
  • Registered nurses
  • Licensed practical and vocational nurses
  • Physical and occupational therapists
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Other specialists

Examples of SNF care include physical therapy and intravenous injections given by a registered nurse or doctor. SNF care is different from non-medical long-term care. Non-medical long-term care helps you with daily activities, like bathing and dressing. It may also include care that most people do themselves, like using eye drops, oxygen, and taking care of colostomy or bladder catheters. This care is often given in a nursing facility. Medicare doesn’t cover non-medical long-term care. Go to page 15 to learn how to get help paying for non-medical long-term care.

When and how long does Medicare cover care in a SNF?

SNF care is generally given daily, on a short-term basis. Medicare covers up to 100 days of care in a SNF in a single benefit period, as long as you’re eligible. Go to page 8 for more details.

Why would I need care in a SNF?

SNFs offer both skilled nursing and skilled therapy care. You may need skilled nursing care when it’s necessary to:

  • Help improve your condition.
  • Maintain your current condition, or prevent or delay it from getting worse.

You may get skilled therapy care when it’s necessary to:

  • Help improve your condition.
  • Set up a maintenance program to help maintain your current condition or prevent or delay it from getting worse.
  • Perform a safe and effective maintenance program. Complications in your condition or the complexity of services you get may sometimes require continued skilled therapy care even after the maintenance program is set up.

Skilled care helps you get better, function more independently, and may help you manage your health.

How do I find a SNF?

Finding a SNF that’s right for you matters. Planning ahead can help you choose a SNF that best meets your needs. If the hospital you’re in has its own SNF, and a bed is available, you may choose to stay there. If not, you may need to find an available bed at a separate facility. Most nursing homes also offer SNF care.

If you have Original Medicare, you can go to any Medicare-certified SNF if a bed is available. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (depending on the type of plan), you:

  • Can usually go to any Medicare-certified SNF if a bed is available, but going to a SNF in your plan’s network might save you money. Some plans require you to get your SNF care from a SNF in your plan’s network. Call your plan to find out which SNFs are in your plan’s network. If you meet certain conditions, you may be able to get your SNF care from a SNF that isn’t in your plan’s network.
  • May need to let the plan know you need SNF care before you’re admitted to the SNF. You may have to pay for more (or all) of your SNF care if you don’t tell your plan before you’re admitted.

Step 1: Find SNFs in your area.

  • To search for SNFs, visit Medicare.gov/care-compare and select “Nursing homes including rehab services” to find a list of the Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities in your area and learn about the quality of care they offer. Many of these nursing homes also offer skilled nursing care. You can call the facility to be sure.
  • If you’re in the hospital, ask the hospital’s discharge planner or social worker for a list of local SNFs. They may help you find an available bed.
  • Visit or call your local social service agency or hospital. Ask to speak to a social worker or case manager who can help you find a SNF in your area.
  • Ask people you trust, like your doctor, family, friends, or neighbors if they can recommend a SNF.

Note: For more information on choosing a nursing home, download “Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home” at Medicare.gov/publications.

Step 2: Compare quality of care.

Quality of care means doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right person, and having the best possible results. SNFs are certified by Medicare to make sure they meet specific federal health and safety requirements.

To find out how SNFs in your area compare in quality, visit Medicare.gov/care-compare. You can compare the health inspection survey reports of the SNFs in your area and look at other information, like staffing levels and quality measures. You can also compare the star rating results for each SNF.

Other ways to find out about SNF quality of care:

  • Call your state survey agency. Ask if they have information on the quality of SNFs. You can visit Medicare.gov/care-compare/resources/resources-and-information for your state’s information.
  • Call your state health department. Ask if they have information on the quality of SNFs.
  • Call your Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The Ombudsman program helps residents of SNFs solve problems by acting on their behalf. Ombudsmen visit SNFs and speak with residents throughout the year to make sure residents’ rights are protected. They’re a good source of general information about SNFs and can work to solve problems with your care, including financial issues. Ask them questions like: How many complaints they’ve gotten about a SNF, what kind of complaints they were, and if the problems were resolved.

Step 3: Visit the SNFs you’re interested in.

If possible, visit the SNFs you’re interested in before you make a decision. A visit gives you the chance to become familiar with the residents, staff, and facility. Call and make an appointment to tour the SNF before you visit. During your visit, you may want to use the SNF checklist (pages 25–29) to help you make your decision.

If you can’t visit the SNF yourself, you may want to ask a family member or friend to visit for you.

Ask the staff at the facility to:

  • Show you the information they’re required to post in the facility like the number of licensed and unlicensed nursing staff.
  • Show you the results of the most recent SNF health inspection survey report. They must have it available for you to look at upon request. If the SNF didn’t meet requirements, ask if the issues have been corrected and to review the correction plan.
  • Explain anything you don’t understand. For example, a person may be shouting or making unrecognizable noises. It may be because he or she is confused, not because they’re being hurt or neglected.
  • Answer your questions about any rating information for their facility that’s included on Medicare.gov/care-compare.

Go to a resident/family council meeting Ask a SNF staff member if you can get permission from the residents or residents’ families to attend a resident council and/or family meeting. These councils are usually organized and managed by the residents’ families to improve the quality of care and life for the residents, and to address concerns.

Step 4: Choose the SNF that best meets your needs.

If you find more than one facility with a bed available, use all the information you get to compare them. Once you’ve made your decision, you can make your arrangements with the SNF.

Source and further reading

Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Facility Care — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Public domain U.S. government educational material, accessed October 28, 2026. Fynoptic has selected sections, removed print navigation, and reformatted the text for this guide. The agency does not endorse Fynoptic.

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