Does Medicare Pay for Adult Day Care?

Medicare does not pay for adult day care, so many families pay for it on their own. Medicaid, PACE, the VA and some Medicare Advantage plans may pay instead. If your dad can't be home alone while you work, a day center can help. It often costs less than an aide at home, the National Institute on Aging says.

You may get help paying if

• You have Medicaid, or your income and savings are low enough to get it.
• You're 55 or older, need the care a nursing home gives and live near a PACE program.
• You're a veteran in VA health care and need help with daily tasks like bathing or meals.

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because your state Medicaid office or the VA makes the call, not the center. A Pair Team advocate can sort out who pays with you in one call.

Who pays for adult day care

What's the difference between adult day care and adult day health care?

The difference is how much health care you get. Adult social day care offers activities, meals and some health help, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) says. Adult day health care adds nursing and therapy, for people with serious health needs or at risk of a nursing home.

Most centers are open during work hours. A day can include a hot meal, help with medicines, physical therapy and time with others. Many centers help set up rides to and from home. Not every state licenses adult day centers, so visit before you sign up.

How much does adult day care cost?

Adult day health care cost a typical $95 a day in 2025, CareScout's cost of care survey found. That's about $24,700 a year for five days a week, and 5% less than the year before. Prices differ a lot by state: $94 a day in California and $144 in New York. Most centers charge by the day or the hour.

Does Medicaid pay for adult day care?

Medicaid can pay for adult day care if you qualify, but the rules depend on your state. Nearly every state has Medicaid waiver programs, Medicaid.gov says. Adult day health is one of the standard services they can pay for. These programs are mostly for people who would otherwise need a nursing home. Medicaid may also pay for in-home care through Medicaid.

Do PACE or Medicare Advantage plans pay for it?

PACE can pay for adult day care as part of your care, Medicare.gov says. Its team runs a day center with primary care, meals and therapy, and it gives you a ride there. See how PACE works.

Some Medicare Advantage plans pay for adult day care as an extra benefit. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which runs Medicare, has let plans offer it since 2019. Not every plan does, so call the number on your card.

How to find an adult day center

1. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, or send a text. It connects you to your local Area Agency on Aging.
2. Ask your Area Agency on Aging for a list of centers near you, and if any help with the cost.
3. Check with your state. Your state may license centers and keep a list, and the state links below show where.
4. Call your Medicaid office or plan first if you have Medicaid, so the center you pick is one it pays for.
5. Visit two or more centers. Ask the price per day, the hours, if a nurse is there, and if rides are part of it.

What a Pair Team advocate does

Families often call us when a parent can't be left alone all day but isn't ready for a nursing home. This is what we do:

• Check if Medicaid, PACE or the VA can pay, in one call.
• Find centers near you and help with the forms they need.
• Ask your doctor for the orders or notes a center may need.
• Help with what usually comes with it: rides, paid help at home and bills.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

Does Medigap pay for adult day care?

Medigap does not pay for adult day care, because it doesn't pay for long-term care, Medicare.gov says. Long-term care insurance or Medicaid may help instead.

Can GUIDE pay for adult day care?

GUIDE, Medicare's dementia care program, can pay for days at an adult day center as respite, a break for the family caregiver. In 2026, CMS caps respite at $2,625 a year for each person, so ask your GUIDE program which kinds it offers. See Medicare and dementia care.

Can I get a tax break for a parent's adult day care?

You may get a tax credit for a parent's adult day care if you pay for it so you can work. Your parent must live with you more than half the year and be unable to care for themselves. They must be your dependent, or would be except for their income. They must also spend at least 8 hours a day in your home, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says.

Is adult day care the same as respite care?

Adult day care is one kind of respite care, which gives the family caregiver a break. Respite can also be an aide at home or a short stay in a care home, the National Institute on Aging says.

Does the VA pay for adult day care?

The VA pays for adult day health care for veterans who need help with daily tasks or are cut off from others. Care can be at a VA medical center, a State Veterans Home or a local program. Ask your VA social worker, who also figures your copay.

Find the rules for your state

• California: The state's Medicaid program pays for adult day health centers, called Community-Based Adult Services, through your health plan.
• New York: Medicaid and managed long term care plans pay for adult day health care and some social adult day care.
• Nevada: Medicaid pays for adult day health care if you need help with daily tasks. You don't need nursing home level care for it.

Everyone else can call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Sources

• Long-term care, Medicare.gov
• PACE, Medicare.gov
• CMS finalizes Medicare Advantage and Part D payment and policy updates to maximize competition and coverage (April 1, 2019), CMS
• Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model fact sheet, MLN7172818 (July 2026), CMS
• GUIDE Model, CMS
• Home and Community-Based Services 1915(c), Medicaid.gov
• Current VA health care copay rates, Department of Veterans Affairs
• Adult Day Health Care, VA Geriatrics and Extended Care
• Services for Older Adults Living at Home, National Institute on Aging
• Adult Day Care fact sheet, Administration for Community Living
• Eldercare Locator, Administration for Community Living
• Publication 503 (2025), Child and Dependent Care Expenses, IRS
• CareScout Releases 2025 Cost of Care Survey Results (March 2, 2026), Genworth
• Cost of Care, state medians for 2025, CareScout