Short-Term Care Insurance in Brighton, CO

What to know before you choose

Medicare covers skilled nursing facility care only in limited situations: after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay, for skilled care, for up to 100 days per benefit period. Days 1 to 20 are covered in full, and from day 21 to day 100 you pay $217 a day in 2026 (CMS). Medicare does not cover custodial care, the help with bathing, dressing and eating that many people need most (Medicare.gov).

A worked example, as an illustration. If you needed all 80 of days 21 to 100 in a skilled nursing facility in 2026, the Medicare coinsurance alone would be 80 times $217, or $17,360. After day 100, or if your care is custodial rather than skilled, Medicare pays nothing. A Medigap plan covers the skilled nursing coinsurance, but not custodial care.

A short-term care policy pays a daily benefit for covered care for a set number of days, up to about a year depending on the policy, after a short elimination period. Many cover home health care as well as facility care. Approval usually relies on a short health questionnaire rather than a medical exam.

It is not long-term care insurance. It will not pay for years of care, and it is priced to match. For many people in their sixties and seventies, it is an affordable way to protect savings from the most common kind of care need: a recovery measured in weeks or months.

Your needs and situation are unique, and I am committed to spending the time to get to know you so you get coverage and support that fits your lifestyle.

Colorado rules to know

Assisted living and home care costs along the Front Range are paid privately by most families unless they qualify for Health First Colorado long-term services. A short-term care benefit can bridge a recovery without drawing down savings.

Policies sold here are regulated by the Colorado Division of Insurance. Ask me for the outline of coverage, which lists exactly what is paid.

How and when to enroll

1. Apply while you are healthy; the health questions usually ask about recent diagnoses, care needs and use of mobility aids.
2. Each company sets its own issue ages and health questions; I tell you which ones you are likely to qualify for before you apply.
3. Choose a daily benefit, a benefit period and an elimination period with me, then read the outline of coverage together.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming Medicare pays for a nursing home or home help after a fall. It covers only limited skilled care.
• Waiting until a diagnosis makes you ineligible.
• Choosing a long elimination period to save premium when the most likely claim is short.

How Lisa helps

• What Medicare and your Medigap or Advantage plan already pay for skilled nursing, explained first
• Daily benefit, benefit period and elimination period chosen for your situation
• Home care and facility care benefits compared
• Health questions reviewed before you apply
• Comparison with hospital indemnity coverage so the two fit together
• Help coordinating a claim with the facility or home care agency

Who it fits

You are in your sixties or older, want to protect savings from the cost of a recovery after surgery, a fall or an illness, and either do not qualify for or do not want to pay for full long-term care insurance.