Care can cost $6,200 to $10,800 a month.
Here's how families pay for it.
An illustrated guide for families in the U.S.: what Medicare, Medicaid and the VA really pay, what the rules protect, and what to ask an elder-law attorney. 190 pages with 2026 numbers and sources. eBook or printed book.
The book at home, the PDF for the sibling who lives far away · $79.99
Not a wall of legal text. One topic per page.
Every page works the same way, so a tired brother or sister can find the answer in two minutes at the kitchen table.
This is what the pages look like.
For the adult children who end up handling the paperwork.
Before the first big bill
The rules have long timelines: Medicaid looks back 5 years, the VA 3 years. Knowing them early gives a family more choices to discuss with an attorney.
Before signing anything
What Medicare will and won't pay, what a facility contract can ask of a family member, and which questions to bring to the first meetings.
Look for every source
Medicaid home-care programs, programs that pay family caregivers, the VA pension, tax breaks and insurance claims, side by side.
What's worth knowing before the first bill.
These rules are federal and written down. The book explains each one with a diagram, the 2026 numbers and the source.
It doesn't pay for long-term care
Medicare covers rehab in a skilled nursing facility after a 3-day inpatient hospital stay, for up to 100 days. From day 21 the copay is $217 a day in 2026. Nights "under observation" don't count.
The 60-month look-back
Gifts made in the 5 years before applying can create a period with no Medicaid payment. The penalty starts only when the person is in care and has applied, often when the money is already gone.
The "responsible party" line
Nursing homes in Medicare or Medicaid can't require a third party to guarantee payment as a condition of admission. Arbitration can't be required either, and a signed agreement can be cancelled within 30 days.
The table that clears up the Medicare confusion.
Four types of care, five ways to pay. One look shows which columns a family can actually use.
- 2025 national median costs for home care, assisted living, adult day and nursing homes
- What Medicare pays: rehab after a hospital stay, up to 100 days
- Who paid for long-term care in the US: Medicaid 45.6%, families 14.4%
- The "inpatient" versus "observation" detail that changes the 100 days
The 5-year look-back, on one line.
What Medicaid checks, how a penalty is calculated, and why it starts later than people expect.
- Asset and income limits, and what a Miller trust (QIT) is
- The penalty: amount given ÷ the state's divisor, with real state examples
- California's 30-month rule, counting only from 2026
- From 1/1/2027: coverage before the application drops from 3 months to 2
How Medicaid looks at the family home.
When the house usually doesn't count, the 2026 equity limits, and the four transfers the law allows without a penalty.
- Home equity limit: $752,000 to $1,130,000 in 2026, set by each state
- The caregiver-child and sibling exemptions
- The spouse at home: $32,532 to $162,660 in savings, income from $2,705 a month
- Estate recovery after death, and when the state has to wait
The programs that can pay a family caregiver.
Medicaid waivers, self-directed care, Structured Family Caregiving, PACE and Medicare's GUIDE program, mapped state by state.
- All states that answered KFF's 2025 survey pay family members in at least one program
- 9 states, plus Missouri in one program, pay a daily amount to a live-in relative
- Waiting lists: what to do while you wait
- The exact question to ask, word for word
The VA pension that helps pay for care.
Aid & Attendance for wartime veterans and surviving spouses, with the caps in force from 12/1/2025.
- Up to $18,697 a year for a surviving spouse with no children, about $1,558 a month
- Net worth limit $163,699, and the 3-year look-back
- How care costs reduce countable income
- Nobody may charge to prepare the first application: how to check accreditation
Read the "responsible party" line before signing.
A sample admission agreement, annotated: the phrases to look for and what federal rules say about them.
- "Personally guarantee," "joint and several," "responsible party agrees to pay"
- Signing as the resident's representative, paying from the resident's funds
- Arbitration: optional, and 30 days to cancel
- Assisted living follows state rules: what changes
Everyone in the family looks at the same page.
Siblings, spouses and the parent can read the same chart and come to the attorney with the same questions. Meetings are shorter, and decisions are clearer.
- Built on laws, regulations and agency pages, cited on every page
- Reviewed every year: the numbers change each year
- We don't sell insurance, annuities or reverse mortgages
Every way to pay for care, in one guide.
Full table of contents
On screen, on paper, or both.
Color PDF, right after payment
Open it on a phone, tablet or computer, and share it with the family. Print the worksheets as many times as you need.
190 color pages, spiral-bound
Lies flat next to the bills and the phone. Ships to US addresses. Want both? Printed + eBook for $79.99.
The directory and the worksheets.
The official and nonprofit numbers in one place, from the Eldercare Locator to the long-term care ombudsman, plus worksheets to keep track of calls, costs and facilities.
- Eldercare Locator, SHIP, 1-800-MEDICARE, VA accreditation search, NAELA and more
- Care budget, call log and facility comparison sheet
- With the eBook: print them again whenever you need
See 10 real pages, free.
What a month of care costs, who pays for what, the 60-month look-back, the house and the spouse, programs that pay family caregivers, the VA pension, tax breaks, the "responsible party" line, the attorney checklist and the directory. Read them and decide with the pages in front of you.
See the 10 pages ↓
How is it different?
| What it has | This guide | Official websites | Books on Amazon | Elder-law attorney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare, Medicaid, VA, taxes and contracts in one place | ✓ | Spread across many sites | Varies | ✓ |
| Charts, timelines and diagrams | ✓ | Varies | Varies | — |
| 2026 numbers with the source on each page | ✓ | ✓ | Varies; some editions date from 2017–2018 | ✓ |
| Questions to bring to the attorney | ✓ (40) | — | Varies | — |
| Advice on your family's own situation | ✗ General information | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | From $39.99 | Free | About $12 to $25 | Fees vary |
You can start reading tonight.
You pay
Secure checkout, no account, no subscription. One payment.
You open the eBook
If you chose the eBook, the download link arrives by email. Open it on a phone, tablet or computer.
The book arrives
If you chose the printed book, it ships to your US address.
Every way to pay for care, explained for the whole family.
- 190 illustrated color pages, 15 chapters
- Medicare, Medicaid, the house, the spouse, home-care programs, VA, taxes, insurance
- The 60-month look-back and the "responsible party" line, explained with diagrams
- 2026 numbers, each with its official source
- 40 questions to bring to an elder-law attorney
- Directory of official contacts and printable worksheets
- Printed book: spiral-bound, lies flat
What families ask before buying
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide provides general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. It is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Rules change and vary by state: talk to a licensed elder-law attorney in your state before acting. Every legal topic in the book ends with the questions to ask.
Which states does it cover?
All of them, at the level of the federal rules that apply everywhere. Medicaid is run by each state, so the book shows how the rules change with real examples (Texas, California, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and others) and tells you what to ask your own state's Medicaid office.
Does Medicare pay for a nursing home?
Only for rehab, and only for a limited time. Medicare covers a skilled nursing facility after a hospital stay of at least 3 days as an inpatient, for up to 100 days, while skilled care is needed. From day 21 the copay is $217 a day in 2026. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care, meaning help with bathing, dressing and eating.
Does it explain how Medicaid treats the house?
Yes, in general terms, but no book can promise an outcome. The guide explains how Medicaid generally treats the home: when it doesn't count, the 2026 equity limits, the transfers the law allows without a penalty, and estate recovery after death. What applies to your family depends on your state and your situation, and that is a question for an elder-law attorney.
Are you affiliated with Medicare, Medicaid or the VA?
No. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, Medicaid, CMS, the VA or any government agency. Applying for these programs is free, and free help exists: SHIP for Medicare, the Area Agency on Aging, and VA-accredited representatives.
Are the numbers up to date?
The 2026 figures were checked on November 3, 2026 against official sources such as medicaid.gov, cms.gov, medicare.gov, va.gov and irs.gov, and each page shows its source. These numbers change every year (CMS in January and July, the VA on December 1, the IRS in the fall), so we review the guide every year.
Does it cover veterans' benefits?
Yes. A full chapter on the VA pension with Aid & Attendance and Housebound for veterans and surviving spouses: the yearly caps from 12/1/2025, the net worth limit, the 3-year look-back, wartime periods, the forms, and the programs for family caregivers.
Can you look at our situation and tell us what to do?
No. We can't advise on individual cases. The book is built so you can bring the right pages and questions to an elder-law attorney, a SHIP counselor or a VA-accredited representative.
Do you sell insurance or get paid by care facilities?
No. We sell the guide only. We don't sell insurance, annuities or reverse mortgages, and we don't receive referral fees from facilities or agencies.
Can I read it on my phone?
Yes. The eBook is a color PDF that opens on a phone, tablet or computer. You can print the worksheets and any page you want.
When does the printed book arrive?
The printed book ships to US addresses. The eBook arrives by email right after payment.
What if it's not right for us?
You have a 30-day guarantee. Write to us within 30 days and we'll refund you. No questions, no forms.
Ready to see every way your family can pay for care?
190 illustrated pages, 2026 numbers with sources, 40 questions for the attorney. 30-day guarantee.
From $39.99 · eBook or printed