Medicare has two (2) parts: Part "A" and Part "B". Part A covers inpatient hospital care, inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility such as the Branford Hills Health Care Center, home health care services, and hospice care. Part B covers medical care and services provided by physicians, durable medical equipment, outpatient care services, and home health care services not covered under Part A.

Medicare Part A provides payment for post-hospital care in a skilled nursing facility. Generally, a nursing home resident will not be entitled to any Medicare coverage unless he/she has been hospitalized for at least 3 days prior to the nursing home admission, and within 30 days of the hospital discharge. In order for a resident to receive Medicare benefits, a physician must certify that the resident requires skilled nursing facility care, and the care required by the resident must be available only as an inpatient at a skilled nursing facility.

A nursing home resident may receive up to 100 days of coverage for each spell of illness. If an individual is entitled to Medicare benefits, full coverage is available for the first 20 days. From the 21st day through the 100th day, Medicare will cover all services except for a daily coinsurance amount, which is set by Medicare.