Assisted Living Communities in Madison, WI

Madison’s monthly cost of $4,800 for assisted living puts it roughly in the middle of the pack for Wisconsin. Prices are generally lower in the northern and western parts of the state, with Wausau and La Crosse both averaging under $4,300 a month. Costs spike in southeast Wisconsin, where Milwaukee averages $5,324 a month, and Racine leads the state at $5,450.

Funding assisted living in Madison often requires a mix of private funds and public benefits. Medicaid and Medicare can help qualified individuals reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and many facilities accept veterans’ benefits. To cover funding gaps, seniors draw from their retirement income and savings.

• Medicaid: Wisconsin Medicaid covers assisted living services through Family Care, Family Care Partnership and IRIS. These programs offer benefits such as transportation, personal care services and meals.
• Medicare: Assisted living falls outside the scope of Medicare, which only covers medically necessary care. Even so, assisted living residents who require short-term or intermittent skilled nursing services or rehabilitative therapies can use Medicare to cover specialized support.
• VA Benefits: Aid and Attendance, Housebound benefits and the Geriatrics and Extended Care program help qualified veterans pay for assisted living services. Through these VA-funded benefits, individuals can pay for housing, meals, personal care and recreational activities.
• Private payments: Assisted living communities accept private funds as payment for all housing and care-related expenses. Depending on a resident’s access to resources, this money may come from long-term care insurance, retirement income, savings or investment accounts or proceeds from selling a home.

Seniors living in Madison may also choose from an array of other long-term care possibilities. The $2,019 monthly outlay for an adult day health care facility is thousands of dollars lower than that for assisted living. For approximately $500 more than assisted living, seniors may set up home-based care through homemaker or home health aide services; both average $5,339 monthly. The most intensive and most expensive care is available in nursing homes. In Madison, seniors can expect to pay about $8,851 monthly for a semiprivate room and $9,551 monthly for a private one.

• Wisconsin doesn’t tax Social Security income, and its tax rate for other forms of retirement income tops out at 7.65%. Additionally, it offers a retirement income exclusion that lets seniors subtract up to $5,000 of their retirement income, leaving more money available for assisted living expenses in Madison.
• Madison joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network in 2019, and it has a dynamic action plan that promotes seniors’ comfort through communication resources, public transportation solutions and housing initiatives. The city has a livability score of 66, indicating a range of benefits for assisted living residents.  
• Madison’s cost of living exceeds the national baseline by over 11%, with high housing costs driving up overall living expenses. Fortunately, the state’s robust Medicaid program helps qualified seniors cover assisted living expenses, promoting affordable long-term care.
• The American Lung Association gives the Madison region a passing score for annual particle pollution levels, but high levels of environmental irritants earn the city failing scores for ozone and 24-hour particle pollution. To reduce the impact of poor air quality, many local assisted living centers have air filtration systems.
• Madison offers some of the best hospitals in the state, including UW Health University Hospital and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. These medical facilities specialize in geriatrics, as well as areas such as cardiology, orthopedics and home-based care.