Can Medicaid pay for specific things, like nursing home and hospice?

If you need to be a long term care resident at a NH, the room & board charges are private pay, Medicaid or LTC insurance. MediCARE does not pay for room and board for residential /custodial care. Medicaid is an “at need” program for BOTH medical and financial “at need”.

For individuals is pretty straightforward, basically need skilled nursing care and have no more than 2k in nonexempt assets and income under $2300 mo. If a child or relative has a POA and signatory on the elders financials and involved in thier life (so know what the own, how their health is, where documents are), they IMO can DIY the individuals LTC Medicaid application.
BUT
For couples, this is very very complex if it’s 1 needing a facility and the other is ok so is staying living in thier home or apt. They are in Medicaid speak a CS aka “community spouse”. Only the NH spouse needs to become impoverished. It is not simple to determine how to best do this as a DIY. Really for couples imo your best off finding a CELA level of elder law attorney to go over how Medicaid runs for your state and doing whatever legit changes needed before ever filing a Medicaid application. Not a DIY.

hospice will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurances.
Bonus, Medicare covers about a week of Respite each year.
It will also cover supplies and equipment ordered by Hospice.
Medicare does not cover Assisted Living or Memory Care but will cover Skilled Nursing Facilities pretty sure Medicaid is the same

Medicaid helps with the nursing home part, and Medicare pays for hospice care either at home or in a facility.