Medicare vs. Medicaid (for long-term care).
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 and older that pays little for long-term custodial care; Medicaid is a needs-based program that does cover long-term care once your parent qualifies financially.
The names sound alike, but for long-term care they behave very differently. Medicare is federal health insurance mostly tied to age. It covers doctors, hospitals, and limited short-term skilled care, but it does not pay for ongoing help with daily living, which is what most families mean by long-term care.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program based on financial need. For a parent with limited income and assets, Medicaid can cover long-term care, including a long-term nursing home stay and, in many states, some care at home.
This gap surprises a lot of families. The everyday help a frail parent needs is usually paid out of pocket, through a long-term care policy, or through Medicaid once your parent meets the limits. The rules are complex and vary by state, so it is worth talking to someone who knows your state's program.
Where Kinbase fits
Terms like this one show up in real weeks, in a discharge folder or a doctor’s offhand remark. Kinbase gives your family one place to keep what you learn about your parent’s care, so the next person helping is not starting from scratch.
Start your family’s record.
Name the book, invite the people who help, and the record starts keeping itself. Most families are set up inside ten minutes.
Free for families to start. Everyone you invite joins from a link or by scanning a code, and nobody has to install anything to read or write.