Medicare typically pays 100% of the covered costs of skilled nursing facility care for up to 20 days. After 20 days and up to 100 days, you will usually need to pay a co-pay of $204 per day. A skilled nursing facility must admit the person within 30 days of their leaving the hospital and must admit them for the illness or injury for which the person was receiving hospital care. After 100 days, Medicare will no longer cover skilled nursing care during that benefit period.