# What Adult Children Need to Know About Their Parents' Healthcare Coverage
Adult children often discover too late that they don't understand their parents' healthcare situation. Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care options operate under different rules, and gaps in coverage can create financial disasters.
Medicare covers hospital stays, doctor visits, and some prescription drugs for people 65 and older. It does not cover dental, vision, hearing aids, or most long-term care costs. This gap matters enormously. A parent needing assisted living or nursing home care faces bills of $4,500 to $8,000 monthly, and Medicare pays almost nothing for this.
Medicaid fills some gaps but requires income and asset limits. Each state runs its own Medicaid program with different rules. In some states, Medicaid covers long-term care only after a parent spends down assets to $2,000 or less. This planning window closes fast once decline begins.
Long-term care insurance exists as a separate product, but it's expensive and must be purchased while your parent is still healthy. Premiums for a 60-year-old run $1,500 to $3,000 annually for reasonable coverage.
Adult children should review their parents' insurance documents now, not when crisis strikes. Ask specific questions. What does their supplemental (Medigap) plan cover? Do they have long-term care insurance? What are their Medicaid asset limits? Discuss who makes medical decisions if parents become incapacitated. Consider whether they've named a healthcare power of attorney.
Start conversations early. Your parent may resist discussing finances and death, but unclear plans force you into expensive decisions later. The time to learn about coverage gaps is before you face a $100,000 bill for six months of nursing care.