Skilled Nursing · Tracker
SNF Benefit Day Tracker
Medicare covers up to 100 SNF days per benefit period — days 1–20 in full, days 21–100 with a daily coinsurance. Enter where the resident stands to see the remaining full-coverage and coinsurance days, and what a planned stay will cost the beneficiary.
Data statusExact
- Status
- Exact
- Data year / effective
- CY2026 (effective 2026-01-01)
- Last reviewed
- July 2026
- Last updated
- July 2026
- Primary source
- CY2026 Medicare Part A deductible & coinsurance notice
- Known exclusions
- Original Medicare rules — MA plans may waive the 3-day stay and set different cost-sharing
- Medigap / Medicaid coordination not modeled
Coinsurance amounts are the published CY2026 figures. Day counting follows Original Medicare rules; confirm plan-specific rules for Medicare Advantage.
Where the resident stands
Covered SNF days already used this benefit period
Planned additional covered days
Daily coinsurance (days 21–100)
Defaults to the CY2026 amount ($217; 2025 was $209.50). One-eighth of the inpatient hospital deductible, set each fall.
Used — full coverage
Used — coinsurance
Planned
Remaining
Full-coverage days left (to day 20)
0
Coinsurance days left (to day 100)
0
Beneficiary cost of the planned days
$0
Benefit exhausts on planned day
—
60-day reset
Last covered SNF (or inpatient) day
The rules in one table
| Days | Who pays |
|---|---|
| 1 – 20 | Medicare pays in full (no beneficiary coinsurance). |
| 21 – 100 | Medicare pays, minus $217/day beneficiary coinsurance (CY2026). Medigap and Medicaid often pick this up. |
| 101 + | Medicare pays nothing — beneficiary (or another payer) is responsible for all charges. |
Qualifying stay: Original Medicare requires a 3-consecutive-day inpatient hospital stay (midnights; observation doesn't count) within 30 days before SNF admission. Reset: a benefit period ends after 60 consecutive days with no inpatient or skilled care; the next qualifying stay starts a new 100 days. Days only count against the 100 when Medicare is actually covering skilled care.
FAQ
How many days does Medicare cover in a skilled nursing facility?
Up to 100 days per benefit period: days 1–20 with no beneficiary coinsurance, days 21–100 with a daily coinsurance ($217.00 in 2026). After day 100 the beneficiary is responsible for all SNF charges until a new benefit period begins.
What is the SNF coinsurance for 2026?
$217.00 per day for days 21–100, set by statute at one-eighth of the inpatient hospital deductible ($1,736 in 2026). In 2025 it was $209.50.
How does a benefit period reset?
A benefit period ends after 60 consecutive days without inpatient hospital or skilled SNF care. The next medically necessary, qualifying stay then opens a new benefit period: a fresh 100 SNF days and a new inpatient deductible. There is no limit on the number of benefit periods.
What is the 3-day qualifying stay rule?
Original Medicare requires a medically necessary inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 consecutive days (counted by midnights, not counting the discharge day) within 30 days before SNF admission. Observation days do not count. Medicare Advantage plans may waive this — check the plan.
