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Medicare Guidelines for at Home Care

Medicare does cover allow for costs of home care with specific stipulations. If a person already has Medicare, you are eligible to use home health care through Medicare by meeting several criteria.

  1. Criteria

    • The physician treating the Medicare patient must be the one that decides the patient need home care. The patients needs the following: currently receiving physical or speech language services must be home bound of generally unable to get out alone.

    Guidelines

    • The doctor determines if care is needed intermittently or care that is more permanent. Medicare pays certified home heath care on a 60-day basis. At the end of 60 days, the doctor determines if the patient needs an additional 60 days.

    What Is Not Covered

    • Medicare will not pay for 24 hour per day home care or meals delivered to the recipient.

    Significance

    • With the original Medicare program, the patient is responsible for 20 percent of the costs. If the patient has Medicare Advantage program, the costs of home care is set by the private insurance handling the Advantage program.

    Considerations

    • Home health care through Medicare received a review every 60 days and may continue as long as the patient is still home bound.

    Final Thoughts

    • For patients with limited income that need 24 hour care, Medicaid is another option and normally can cover those areas that Medicare does not.

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