Nursing home costs in Iowa

What Medicare pays for in Iowa

Medicare rules are federal, so they work the same in Iowa as everywhere else: a skilled nursing stay after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay, for a limited number of days, only while skilled care is needed. It does not pay for long-term custodial care anywhere in the United States.

Iowa Health Link and long-term care

384 of the 388 nursing homes in Iowa — 99% — are certified to accept Medicaid. That certification matters long before anyone needs it: if a resident spends down their savings in a home that does not take Medicaid, they may have to move at the worst possible moment.

Income limits, asset limits and spousal protections are set by Iowa within federal rules, and they change. Confirm the current figures with the state Medicaid agency or an elder law attorney licensed in Iowa before making any financial decision.

Private-pay rates

We do not publish an estimated daily rate for Iowa. The federal files behind this site do not contain private-pay pricing, and a guessed figure would be worse than none. Call three homes from the list below and ask for the semi-private daily rate, what it includes, and what is billed on top.