Cost questions to ask before you commit
The questions that turn a verbal quote into a written, comparable answer about rates, what is included, how prices change and who confirms coverage.
Before you sign anything, you should be able to say in one sentence what you will pay, for what, and how it can change. These questions are about getting that sentence in writing. They do not tell you what care costs or how to pay for it; they help you get complete answers from each provider so you can compare.
Ask for it in writing
Verbal quotes drift. Ask every provider for a written rate sheet and a copy of the agreement you would sign, then read them with the questions below beside you. If a question is not answered in the documents, ask for the answer to be added.
The base rate
- What is the base rate, and is it per hour, per day or per month?
- What does the base rate include: room, meals, personal care, activities, transportation?
- How is the level of care decided, who decides it, and how does a change in level change the price?
- Is there a one-time fee to move in or start services, and is any of it refundable?
What costs extra
- Which services cost extra? Ask for the list with prices.
- Is there a minimum number of hours per visit or per week?
- Are there different rates for nights, weekends or holidays?
- Which supplies, medications or equipment are billed separately?
How prices change
- How often have rates changed in the past few years, and how much notice do you give?
- What happens to the price if needs increase, or decrease?
- If a resident is in the hospital or away, is the full rate still charged?
Leaving or changing services
- How much notice is required to end services or move out?
- Which deposits or prepaid amounts are refundable, and when are they returned?
- Under what circumstances could the provider end the agreement?
Who confirms coverage
If a provider says a benefit or policy “usually pays,” ask who confirms that for your situation and in what form. Eligibility and coverage decisions belong to the program or insurer, not to the provider.
- Do you accept this payment source, and what paperwork will you provide?
- Who verifies eligibility or coverage: the provider, the program, or us? Before or after care starts?
- What is billed to us while a claim or application is pending?
For what Original Medicare generally does and does not cover, read the official Medicare.gov long-term care coverage page and ask the program directly rather than relying on a provider’s summary. For local help understanding benefits, the Eldercare Locator, a public service of the U.S. Administration for Community Living, connects families with area aging services.
Sources: Long-term care coverage, Medicare.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (checked September 7, 2026); Eldercare Locator, U.S. Administration for Community Living (checked September 7, 2026)
Compare like with like
Put the written answers from each provider side by side: same unit, same included services, same time period. Where the answers differ, ask again. If a term is still unclear after you ask, have it explained and written into the agreement before you decide.
The tour questions and the in-home care interview include the moment to ask each of these.
Sources
These pages informed the sections that cite them; the questions and checklists are our own. Links were checked on .
- Long-term care coverage, Medicare.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Checked September 7, 2026.
- Eldercare Locator, U.S. Administration for Community Living.Checked September 7, 2026.