Paying for assisted living in Massachusetts usually means combining several sources, because no single program covers the full monthly cost.

Assisted living in Massachusetts runs about $9,475 a month, among the highest in the country, and most families piece together the bill from personal income and savings, long-term care insurance, VA benefits for those who served, and, for low-income seniors, MassHealth Group Adult Foster Care, which pays for personal-care services but never room and board. This guide walks through each source so you can build a realistic plan for your family.

In This Guide

What Assisted Living Costs in Massachusetts

Assisted living in Massachusetts is among the most expensive in the country, running about $9,475 a month, the third-highest of any state in the CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey. The figure varies by region, with Greater Boston running highest. A memory-care unit or a higher care level adds to the base. Treat the median as a planning anchor, not a quote, and ask each assisted living residence for an all-in monthly price that separates the base rent from the care-level add-ons.

That monthly number is the starting point for everything below: at nearly $9,500 a month, the goal of assembling enough from the sources that follow is especially pressing.

Private Pay

Most assisted living in Massachusetts is paid for privately, at least at first. The common sources families draw on are:

  • Income: Social Security, pensions, and retirement-account withdrawals are the steadiest base.
  • Savings and investments: drawn down on a planned schedule so you know how many months or years they will cover at about $9,475 a month.
  • The family home: selling the home, or borrowing against it through a home-equity line or a reverse mortgage if a spouse still lives there, frees up a large share of many families' net worth.
  • Annuities and life-insurance conversions: some families convert a life-insurance policy to a long-term-care benefit or use an annuity to turn a lump sum into predictable monthly income.

Build a written timeline of how long private funds will last. At this cost, knowing the month at which savings would run low is what makes it possible to apply for MassHealth in time, rather than in a crisis.

Long-Term Care Insurance

If your parent bought a long-term care insurance policy, it can cover a large part of the assisted living bill. Read the policy for three things: the daily or monthly benefit amount, the elimination period (the days you pay out of pocket before benefits start, often 30 to 90 days), and whether assisted living, not just nursing-home care, is a covered setting. Most modern policies cover assisted living, but older ones sometimes do not. File the claim early, because the elimination period does not start until the claim is approved and care has begun.

VA Aid and Attendance

A wartime veteran or a surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, a federal add-on to the VA pension that provides extra monthly income that can be applied to assisted living. Eligibility depends on wartime service, a doctor-documented need for assistance, and income and asset limits. Because the benefit is federal, the amounts are set nationally rather than by Massachusetts, and it is worth applying with help from an accredited VA representative even if you are unsure your parent qualifies.

MassHealth and Group Adult Foster Care

Massachusetts does not have a Medicaid assisted-living waiver in the way many states do. Instead, MassHealth Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC) pays for the personal-care services delivered in a MassHealth-contracted congregate setting, which can be an assisted living residence or subsidized group housing, for eligible low-income seniors who need help with daily activities. GAFC covers the care, not the room and board, so the resident still pays the rent, and the residence must be a GAFC-contracted provider.

Some residents also use the optional state supplement to Supplemental Security Income to help with the housing cost, and MassHealth covers nursing-facility care for those whose needs rise to that level. If your parent's finances are near the limits, getting advice before applying can prevent costly missteps.

How to Put It Together

Most Massachusetts families layer these sources: private income and savings cover the early months, VA Aid and Attendance or long-term care insurance fills part of the gap for those who qualify, and MassHealth GAFC becomes the backstop for personal-care services once income and assets are low enough. Because assisted living here is so costly, the key planning move is to map out, in advance, how long private funds last and to confirm a residence is GAFC-contracted before moving in.

Frequently Asked Questions

MassHealth does not pay assisted-living room and board, and Massachusetts has no Medicaid assisted-living waiver. Through Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC), MassHealth pays for personal-care services in a contracted assisted living residence or group setting for eligible low-income seniors, while the resident covers room and board.

About $9,475 a month, among the highest in the country and third-highest of any state, with Greater Boston running highest and added cost for higher care levels or memory care.

Yes. A wartime veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, extra monthly pension income, set at federal amounts, that can be applied to assisted living.

It is a MassHealth benefit that pays for personal-care services delivered in a contracted congregate setting, such as an assisted living residence or subsidized group housing, for eligible low-income seniors who need help with daily activities; it does not pay room and board.

Usually yes for modern policies, though older ones may cover only nursing-home care. Check the benefit amount, the elimination period, and whether assisted living is a covered setting, and file the claim as soon as care begins.

Learn More

Find personalized help paying for assisted living in Massachusetts at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

BC

Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.