Does Medicare Cover In Home Care?

By Andy Niska | June 25, 2019 | Comments Off on Does Medicare Cover In Home Care?

What Does Medicare Home Health Care Cover?

Medicare helps millions of Americans, but it can be confusing. Are you eligible for Medicare home health care? Here’s what is covered and what is not.

When it’s time get the home-based healthcare help you need, it can be hard to navigate your coverage for these services. 

You might have already had help for a variety of tasks or services. When you need more help, how do you know if Medicare will cover it? 

As the U.S. population ages, the need for home health care increases. 

Medicare can help, but you’ll need to know which services Medicare covers versus services that fall under private pay services. 

Let’s look at what falls under Medicare home health care services. 

What Medicare Covers

Medicare home health coverage helps provide critical services and devices if you’re homebound. In some cases, you’re responsible for a copay. 

However, you should take advantage of anything Medicare provides partial or full coverage for, including:

  • Durable Medical Equipment (DME). Do you need physical help from a walker, wheelchair, bathtub transfer benches, or similar devices? Medicare covers this type of durable medical equipment after you pay a 20% copay. 
  • Skilled Nursing Services. For many in-home nursing services, Medicare covers these costs in full. Use this coverage for tube feedings, injections,  wound care, catheter changes, and medical evaluations.
  • Medical Social Services. Being homebound or chronically ill can cause loneliness and depression. Medicare covers counseling or help in finding local support communities. 
  • Skilled Therapy Services. Use Medicare to cover in-home therapy. This includes physical, occupational (with restrictions), or speech therapy needed to recover from a stroke, illness, or to improve mobility. 
  • Medical Supplies. These supplies are a different category than durable medical equipment. Medicare in-home care coverage includes catheters, bandages, and other small disposable supplies.

As you can see, Medicare home health coverage provides a wide range of services and equipment to make your life at home more functional. 

What Medicare Doesn’t Cover

There are a few exceptions Medicare’s home health coverages. 

  • Occupational Therapy–We mentioned occupational therapy above in the “covered” services. However, if occupational therapy is the only service you need, Medicare will not cover it. Coverage for occupational therapy comes with a connection to extra home health services. 
  • Personal Care–These services include help with bathing or dressing. If you have no other health needs, Medicare doesn’t cover these services. If your medical condition requires help with bathing or dressing, Medicare will cover it.
  • Homemaking Services–Medicare does not cover help for cooking, cleaning, or similar tasks. 

If you need help in these areas, but Medicare won’t cover it, and private pay isn’t an option, look for other free services in your area. Many local resources provide meals, shopping, or cleaning services for those with health needs. 

Choose Quality Medicare Home Health Care 

No matter what kind of qualified services you receive through Medicare home health care coverage, make sure you choose a quality provider. 

Our mission is to ensure a better quality of life for our elderly clients and their families. We provide excellent, affordable care–with or without coverage from Medicare.

Contact us for immediate information about how we can help you!

Andy Niska
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