Cinergy Financial Adviser Explains Medicare's Long-Term Care Coverage

TUSTIN, Calif., Oct. 23, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- As families review their Medicare coverage during open enrollment, Orange County firm Cinergy Financial is sharing what Medicare and other sources cover for long-term care. Cindy Couyoumjian, a financial advisor and founder of Cinergy Financial in Tustin, California, is answering a question many older adults and their families ask each fall: "Does Medicare cover long-term care?"

Couyoumjian, who has worked in the securities industry since 1986, encourages families to use open enrollment as a reminder to read the fine print on what their coverage leaves out. Free, confidential counseling on Medicare, long-term care insurance, and planning for long-term care needs is available through the California Department of Aging’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 800-434-0222, according to aging.ca.gov (2026).

Medicare generally does not pay for long-term care, the ongoing help with everyday personal tasks that Medicare also calls custodial care, according to Medicare.gov (2026). Most health insurance, including Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), does not pay for it either, so people generally cover the full cost from their own hard-earned savings unless another source pays.

Couyoumjian, who has worked in the securities industry since 1986, encourages families to use open enrollment as a reminder to read the fine print on what their coverage leaves out. Free, confidential counseling on Medicare, long-term care insurance, and planning for long-term care needs is available through the California Department of Aging’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 800-434-0222, according to aging.ca.gov (2026).

Medicare generally does not cover long-term care, the ongoing help with everyday personal tasks that Medicare also calls custodial care, according to Medicare.gov (2026). Most health insurance, including Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), does not pay for it either, so people generally cover the full cost from their own hard-earned savings unless another source pays.

Medicare pays for nursing home care only in limited, short-term situations tied to recovery. Medicare Part A may cover up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care in each benefit period after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least three days in a row, with a daily coinsurance generally applying from day 21, according to Medicare.gov (2026). In a hypothetical example, someone admitted to the hospital for four days after a fall who then moves to a skilled nursing facility for physical therapy may have that skilled care covered. Once that person needs only help with bathing, dressing or eating, the care is generally outside Medicare’s coverage.

Nearly 7 in 10 People Turning 65 May Need Long-Term Care

People turning 65 have close to a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services during their remaining years, according to the U.S. Administration for Community Living (2020). In The Silent Retirement Crisis (2023), Cindy Couyoumjian writes about the hope of retiring with dignity and the common fear of becoming a burden to one's children later in life. She encourages readers to plan and prepare while they still have the time and health to weigh their options and talk with family.

What Families Should Review During Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and coverage changes made during it take effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2026). Cindy Couyoumjian, who has worked in the securities industry since 1986, encourages families to use open enrollment as a reminder to read the fine print on what their coverage leaves out. Free, confidential counseling on Medicare, long-term care insurance, and planning for long-term care needs is available through the California Department of Aging’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 800-434-0222, according to aging.ca.gov (2026).

Long-Term Care Planning in Orange County

Cinergy Financial is a financial planning and investment services firm in Tustin, California, founded and led by Cindy Couyoumjian. The firm’s services include risk management strategies such as insurance and long-term care planning, and Cindy Couyoumjian is the author of three books on financial literacy, women and wealth, and retirement: Redefining Financial Literacy, The Rise of Women and Wealth, and The Silent Retirement Crisis.

Cinergy Financial invites people approaching or living in retirement to review their own long-term care questions with a professional, and more information is available at cinergyfinancial.com.

Cindy Couyoumjian Answers Common Questions About Long-Term Care and Medicare

Does Medicare cover long-term care?

Medicare generally does not cover long-term care, and it does not pay for custodial care such as help with bathing and dressing when that is the only care a person needs, according to Medicare.gov (2026). Medicare can help pay for some short-term skilled care, including part-time home health care for people who are homebound, but it does not pay for 24-hour care at home.

What is long-term care?

Long-term care is help with basic personal tasks of everyday life, such as bathing, dressing, and eating, for people with a chronic illness or disability, according to Medicare.gov (2026).