If you or a loved one has been hospitalized in recent years, you’ve probably had this experience: You’ve barely put on the hospital gown when a “discharge planner” starts the conversation about where you’ll go once the hospital decides you should leave. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to start the hospital discharge planning process early so that a solid plan can be arranged based on good facts and on the best interests of the patient. But as writer Judith Graham reminds us in a recent piece for Kaiser Health News, hospital discharge planning, especially when the recommendation is for post-hospital rehab in a skilled nursing facility, can be a rushed and confusing process, often lacking in sufficient information and understanding of the goals of such rehab. Graham provides some good questions to ask before getting shuttled out the door. In a further update, she describes a new rating system for families to evaluate the post-hospital rehab options in skilled nursing facilities. And for a deeper understanding of the transition from hospital to rehab center for older loved ones, get the suitcase ready and read more here.

But one thing is very clear: Medicare will only pay for a limited rehab stay in a skilled nursing facility. Many don’t realize that there is no Medicare reimbursement for long, extended stays in nursing homes, especially if there is no longer an opportunity for rehabilitation of the patient. So don’t assume you can rely on Medicare if you need long term care in a facility. For a description of what Medicare will pay for, check out the Medicare website here and read a good review from the Medicare Rights Center here.