For a low-income California resident who cannot afford private long-term care insurance, which public program is the primary payer of long-term custodial nursing home care for those who qualify?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Medi-Cal — California's Medicaid program — is the public program that pays for long-term custodial nursing home care for eligible low-income residents. Medicare, by contrast, is an acute-care program: it covers medically necessary skilled care under limited conditions but excludes custodial care, and Medicare Advantage (Part C) must offer at least the same core benefits as Original Medicare, so it is not a custodial LTC payer either. This contrast explains a core reason consumers buy private LTC insurance: people who want a choice about where and how they receive care, and who want to protect assets, cannot rely on Medicare and generally do not want to depend on Medi-Cal's institutional eligibility rules.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Medicare pays only limited, condition-tied skilled care; it does not pay for long-term custodial nursing home care.
- C) Medicare Advantage must cover at least what Original Medicare covers and adds no custodial LTC benefit, so it is not a custodial-care payer.
- D) Covered California sells ACA-compliant health plans; those plans do not pay for custodial long-term care and are not a public LTC payer.
Memory hook
Medi-Cal = the custodial-care payer for those who qualify. Medicare = acute care only.