Paying for assisted living in Delaware
Most Delaware families pay for assisted living privately at first, usually from a mix of savings, retirement income, the sale of a home, a pension, or a long-term care insurance policy. Costs vary quite a bit depending on the community, the apartment size, and how much daily help a resident needs. You can see current local price ranges in the pricing tables below.
Because assisted living is expensive over time, it helps to understand which public programs can offset part of the cost and which cannot. The short version: Medicaid may help pay for the care services in an assisted living setting if you qualify, but no program pays for the room and board (rent and meals) portion.
Does Diamond State Health Plan-Plus cover assisted living in Delaware?
Delaware delivers its long-term care Medicaid benefits through Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (DSHP-Plus), a managed-care program run by the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA). DSHP-Plus can cover the care and support services a person receives in a licensed assisted living facility, such as help with bathing, dressing, medication oversight, and personal care.
What it does not cover is room and board, the resident still pays for rent and meals out of their own income.
To qualify, an applicant generally must:
- Be a Delaware resident who meets the program's medical/level-of-care criteria
- Meet income and asset limits (for long-term care, assets are typically limited to $2,000 for an individual, with separate rules for a spouse)
You can apply online through Delaware ASSIST or by contacting DMMA's Medicaid intake unit. Not every assisted living community participates in DSHP-Plus, so ask whether a community accepts it before committing.
Does Medicare cover assisted living in Delaware?
Medicare does not pay for assisted living room and board or for ongoing custodial care (help with everyday activities), which is the bulk of what assisted living provides. This is true in Delaware and nationwide.
Medicare may still cover specific medical items a resident needs while living there, such as short-term skilled nursing or rehab after a qualifying hospital stay, doctor visits, and many prescription drugs under Part D.
For free, unbiased help understanding what Medicare covers, contact the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB), the state's SHIP program, at 1-800-336-9500.
