Skilled Nursing · Buncombe County

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation in Buncombe County

By Asheville Senior Care Guide · Updated July 2026

Skilled nursing is the most medically intensive level of senior care. It is where someone goes when they need round-the-clock licensed nursing, whether that is short-term rehabilitation after a hospital stay or long-term care for a condition that cannot be managed safely anywhere else. Families often arrive here quickly and under pressure, usually straight from a hospital discharge, so this guide lays out what skilled nursing is, what Medicare will and will not pay, and every licensed facility in Buncombe County.

What skilled nursing actually is

A skilled nursing facility, often shortened to SNF and sometimes still called a nursing home, provides 24-hour care from licensed nurses along with services that legally require medical training: IV medication, wound care, injections, feeding tubes, and physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Most residents fall into one of two groups. The first is there short-term, recovering from surgery, a stroke, or a serious illness, and expects to go home once rehabilitation is complete. The second is there long-term because a chronic or advancing condition needs a level of medical supervision that assisted living and home care cannot provide.

Skilled nursing vs. assisted living

The distinction matters because it drives both the level of care and who pays. Assisted living is custodial care: help with bathing, dressing, meals, and medication reminders in a residential setting. Skilled nursing is medical care delivered by licensed clinicians. A good rule of thumb: if the daily need is help with the tasks of living, that points to assisted living or an adult care home. If the daily need involves active nursing or rehabilitation, that points to skilled nursing.

Not sure which level fits? Our Compare Your Options guide walks through every level of care side by side, and the Care Transitions guide covers moving safely from a hospital stay.

What Medicare covers, and what it does not

This is where families are most often blindsided. Medicare does cover skilled nursing, but only short-term, only under strict conditions, and never as a way to pay for long-term custodial care. For 2026, the coverage works like this:

Days 1–20

$0

Per day, after your Part A hospital deductible is met for the benefit period.

Days 21–100

$217/day

Your daily coinsurance for 2026. Many Medigap plans cover this amount.

Day 101+

All costs

Medicare coverage ends. Payment shifts to private funds, long-term care insurance, or Medicaid.

The 3-day rule catches families constantly. Medicare only pays for a SNF stay if you first had a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least three consecutive days, and you generally must enter the SNF within 30 days of leaving the hospital. Time spent “under observation” in the hospital does not count, even if you were there several nights. Always ask the hospital directly whether you are admitted as an inpatient or held under observation, because it can be the difference between Medicare paying and paying nothing.

It is also important to understand that the 100 days is a maximum, not a guarantee. Medicare only pays as long as you are actively improving with skilled care. If therapy staff determine you have plateaued, coverage can end well before day 100.

Paying for a long-term stay

Once Medicare stops, a long-term skilled nursing stay in the Asheville area typically runs several thousand dollars a month or more. Families cover this through private savings, long-term care insurance, or, most commonly for extended stays, Medicaid. North Carolina Medicaid does pay for long-term nursing facility care for those who meet its medical and financial rules, and most Buncombe County facilities accept it.

See our guides on Long-Term Care Insurance and Paying for Care for the full picture on funding a long-term stay.

Skilled nursing facilities in Buncombe County

Every licensed nursing facility in the county is listed below, sourced directly from the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation nursing home register (current as of March 2026). Bed counts reflect licensed nursing beds. Always confirm current availability, pricing, and Medicare or Medicaid participation directly with the facility, and cross-check quality and staffing ratings on Medicare’s Care Compare tool before deciding.

Facility	Address	Phone	License	Nursing Beds
NC State Veterans Home	62 Lake Eden Rd, Black Mountain 28711	(828) 257-6800	NH0631	100
Biltmore Haven Nursing & Rehab	3864 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden 28704	(828) 681-0904	NH0575	100
Swannanoa Valley Health & Rehab	1984 US 70 Hwy, Swannanoa 28778	(828) 298-2214	NH0528	106
The Greens at Weaverville	78 Weaver Blvd, Weaverville 28787	(828) 645-4297	NH0532	122
The Laurels of Summit Ridge	100 Riceville Rd, Asheville 28805	(828) 299-1110	NH0540	68
River Bend Health & Rehab	213 Richmond Hill Dr, Asheville 28806	(828) 254-9675	NH0541	100
Emerald Ridge Health & Rehab	25 Reynolds Mountain Blvd, Asheville 28804	(828) 645-6619	NH0551	100
Givens Health Center	600 Barrett Ln, Asheville 28803	(828) 771-2902	NH0484	70
The Laurels of GreenTree Ridge	70 Sweeten Creek Rd, Asheville 28803	(828) 274-7646	NH0463	90
Flesher’s Fairview Health Care	3016 Cane Creek Rd, Fairview 28730	(828) 628-2800	NH0517	106
Bear Mountain Health & Rehab	500 Beaverdam Rd, Asheville 28804	(828) 254-8833	NH0321	77
Aston Park Health Care Center	380 Brevard Rd, Asheville 28806	(828) 253-4437	NH0262	120
StoneCreek Health & Rehab	455 Victoria Rd, Asheville 28801	(828) 252-0099	NH0291	120
Deerfield Episcopal (CCRC)	1617 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville 28803	(828) 210-4582	NH0087	62
Brooks-Howell Home	266 Merrimon Ave, Asheville 28801	(828) 253-6712	NH0107	58
Givens Highland Farms	200 Tabernacle Rd, Black Mountain 28711	(828) 357-2006	NH0147	60
Pisgah Manor Health Care Center	104 Holcombe Cove Rd, Candler 28715	(828) 667-9851	NH0184	118
Elevate Health & Rehab	91 Victoria Rd, Asheville 28801	(828) 255-0076	NH0233	120
Mountain Ridge Rehab & Healthcare	611 Old US Hwy 70 E, Black Mountain 28711	(828) 669-9991	NH0235	97

Source: NC DHSR Nursing Home Listing by County (March 2026). This is an independent public resource; no facility pays to be listed.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare pay for skilled nursing?

Medicare covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing after a qualifying three-day hospital stay, fully for days 1 to 20 and with a $217 per day copay for days 21 to 100 in 2026. Long-term stays are paid privately or by Medicaid.

What is the difference between skilled nursing and assisted living?

Skilled nursing provides 24-hour medical care and rehabilitation from licensed clinicians. Assisted living provides help with daily living in a residential setting, not medical care.

How much does a nursing home cost in Buncombe County?

A long-term skilled nursing stay in the Asheville area typically runs several thousand dollars a month or more, covered privately, by long-term care insurance, or by Medicaid.