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

Assisted living in Pennsylvania runs about $6,100 a month, 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, Medicaid, which can help with 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 Pennsylvania

Assisted living in Pennsylvania runs about $6,100 a month, close to the national median, based on the CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey. The figure varies by region: the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metros run higher, rural areas lower, and 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 personal care home or 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: the goal is to assemble enough from the sources that follow to cover it for as long as your parent needs care.

Private Pay

Most assisted living in Pennsylvania 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 $6,100 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. Knowing the month at which savings would run low is what makes it possible to plan for Medicaid 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 Pennsylvania, and it is worth applying with help from an accredited VA representative even if you are unsure your parent qualifies.

Medicaid and Its Limited Role

Pennsylvania Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living or a personal care home. Pennsylvania's Medicaid long-term-care help centers on nursing-facility care and on home- and community-based services for people who would otherwise need a nursing home, rather than on paying assisted-living room and board. Some low-income personal-care-home residents receive a state Supplemental Security Income supplement toward their costs, but that is separate from Medicaid paying the facility directly.

To qualify for Pennsylvania's long-term-care Medicaid, a person must meet both a nursing-facility level of care and the program's financial rules. If your parent's finances are near the limits, getting advice before applying can prevent costly missteps.

How to Put It Together

Most Pennsylvania families layer these sources: private income and savings cover the assisted-living years, VA Aid and Attendance or long-term care insurance fills part of the gap for those who qualify, and Medicaid becomes relevant mainly if care needs rise to a nursing-facility level. The key planning move is to map out, in advance, how long private funds last and what the next step would be if they run low.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pennsylvania Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living or a personal care home. Its long-term-care help centers on nursing-facility care and home- and community-based services for those who meet a nursing-facility level of care.

About $6,100 a month, near the national median, with regional variation 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.

A person must meet both a nursing-facility level of care and the program's financial rules; the help focuses on nursing-facility and home- and community-based services rather than assisted-living 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 Pennsylvania 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.

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Brevy Care Team

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