Paying for care

Nursing Homes That Accept Medicaid: How to Find One Near You

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By Nursing Home Checker · Updated Oct 23, 2026 · How guides are checked · Share

Federal rules also limit what a Medicaid-certified home can ask of you at admission, while Medicaid is pending, and after private money runs out.

What does "accepts Medicaid" mean in CMS nursing home data?

In CMS data, it means the home's listed participation includes Medicaid. CMS's Provider Information file has a "Provider Type" field, which CMS's data dictionary describes as the "category which is most indicative of provider." In CMS's file as of Sep 1, 2026, the homes are listed like this:

This site shows that listed participation on every home's page. Medicare's nursing home checklist suggests asking each home whether it is Medicare-certified and whether it is Medicaid-certified. The checklist says "certified" means the home passed an inspection by a state government agency.

The data does not tell you whether a Medicaid bed is free today, so the phone call still matters. For who qualifies and what Medicaid pays, see how Medicaid pays for a nursing home.

What can't a nursing home ask you to sign at admission?

Federal rules bar a certified nursing home from asking you to give up your Medicaid rights. Under 42 CFR 483.15, the home must not:

• Ask you to waive Medicare or Medicaid rights. This applies to residents and to people applying for admission.
• Ask for a promise about Medicaid. The home must not ask for an oral or written promise that you are not eligible for, or will not apply for, Medicare or Medicaid.
• Require a third-party guarantee. The home must not require someone else, such as an adult child, to guarantee payment as a condition of admission, faster admission, or staying. It may ask a representative who has legal access to the resident's income or resources to sign a contract to pay from the resident's money, without personal financial liability. See signing as the responsible party.
• Charge extra to a Medicaid-eligible person. For a person eligible for Medicaid, the home must not charge, ask for or accept any gift, money, donation or other payment beyond what the state Medicaid plan requires, as a condition of admission, faster admission, or staying.

CMS guidance to inspectors (Appendix PP, tag F620) gives an example of an indirect, prohibited waiver: requiring a resident to pay private rates for a set period, such as two years, before the home will accept Medicaid. The same guidance says the extra-payment rules apply only to people eligible for Medicaid, and so to Medicaid-certified or dually certified homes.

Federal law also lets states and local governments set stricter admission standards to prevent discrimination against people entitled to Medicaid.

Who pays for a nursing home while Medicaid is pending?

While Medicaid is pending, CMS guidance lets the nursing home charge the applicant or resident, and if Medicaid is approved, the home must refund what was paid for the eligible days, minus the resident's share set by the state. The charge can be a deposit before admission, payment after admission, or both.

• Cash deposits. Medicare.gov says that if Medicare or Medicaid will cover your nursing home stay, the nursing home can't require you to pay a cash deposit, though it may ask you to pay Medicare coinsurance amounts and other charges you normally would pay. If Medicare or Medicaid won't cover the stay, Medicare.gov says you may have to pay a cash deposit before you're admitted.
• Refund after approval. Once Medicaid is approved, CMS guidance says the home must accept the state's amount as payment in full for eligible days. It must refund what you paid for that period, minus the resident's share set by the state, within 30 days of getting the funds from the payer.
• No discharge for nonpayment while pending. CMS guidance (tag F627) says a resident cannot be discharged for nonpayment while a decision on Medicaid eligibility is pending.
• Charges after approval. Federal rules say that for a resident who becomes eligible for Medicaid after admission, the home may charge only allowable Medicaid charges.

Federal rules also say nonpayment applies if the resident does not submit the paperwork for third-party payment, or if Medicare or Medicaid denies the claim and the resident refuses to pay. For notice and appeal rules, see can a nursing home kick you out.

The federal admission rules above bar a home from asking you to promise not to apply for Medicaid, but they do not include a requirement that a home admit a person whose Medicaid application is pending. Ask each admissions office whether it does; the phone questions below include this.

Nursing homes must also display, and give residents and applicants orally and in writing, information on how to apply for Medicare and Medicaid and how to get refunds for earlier payments. CMS guidance says simply giving a phone number is not enough.

What happens when private money runs out in a nursing home?

Federal rules require the home to treat Medicaid residents the same as everyone else on transfer, discharge and the services the state plan covers. Under 42 CFR 483.10, a home must provide equal access to quality care regardless of payment source.

• Room moves. CMS guidance (tag F560) says a resident can decline a move from one distinct part of a home to another for the purpose of getting Medicare or Medicaid eligibility. A distinct part is a certified unit, such as a wing, floor or separate building, that is physically distinguishable from the larger institution that houses it.
• If the home has no Medicaid bed. CMS guidance (tag F627) describes a case where Medicare coverage ends and Medicaid is approved, but no Medicaid bed becomes available in the home, or the home takes part only in Medicare. In that case, the guidance says the resident would be discharged to another home with available Medicaid beds if the resident wants Medicaid to pay.
• If a home leaves Medicaid. Federal law says that if a home voluntarily withdraws from Medicaid but keeps providing nursing home services, the withdrawal is not an acceptable reason to transfer or discharge residents who lived there the day before the withdrawal took effect.

Medicare's checklist suggests asking: "If I need Medicaid in the future, will I still be able to have a private room?"

Questions to ask the admissions office on the phone

Write down each answer, the date, and the name of the person you spoke with.

1. Is the home Medicaid-certified? Is it Medicare-certified?
2. Do you have a Medicaid bed open right now? If not, how do you decide who gets the next one?
3. If the resident starts on Medicare or private pay, can they stay in the same room when Medicaid starts paying?
4. Do you admit residents whose Medicaid application is pending? What deposit or payment do you ask for while it is pending?
5. How and when do you refund payments once Medicaid is approved?
6. Who on your staff helps families apply for Medicaid?
7. Does the admission agreement ask anyone to sign as a guarantor or "responsible party"? Can we see the agreement before admission?

If a home asks you to promise a set period of private pay, or to guarantee payment from your own money, you can ask your state's long-term care ombudsman or Medicaid agency about it; both are listed on your state's page. For the rights that apply in every state, see nursing home residents' rights. Before you apply, also read about Medicaid's 5-year look-back, since gifts and transfers can affect eligibility.

How far back will Medicaid pay for nursing home care?

Under current federal law, Medicaid can cover care in the three months before the month you apply, if the person would have been eligible then, subject to state rules. A July 4, 2025 law (Public Law 119-21, section 71112) shortens this for applications made on or after January 1, 2027.

CMS's surveyor guidance (Appendix PP, revised July 2025) still says retroactive coverage is "up to 3 months," subject to the rules of the state. The 2025 change applies to applications made on or after January 1, 2027. Your state Medicaid agency can tell you how retroactive coverage works in your state.