Okay, there is no doubt that it is important to ask this question, especially given that hiring a home health aide has pretty much skyrocketed. A 2019 industry survey on health home costs revealed that the average home aide service costs around $4,385 monthly.
The survey also revealed that the average health care provider for custodial service went for as up to $4290.
All of these costs point to the fact that getting a home care service solely own is extremely expensive, and it would only be common sense to see if you can drop the price. Of course, by dropping the price, the first place to look out to would-be Medicare as that the country’s natural health superhero. So your questions would be; do Medicare cover home care services? If they do, is there any qualification requirement, and how can I qualify for it?
Okay, the simple answer is that Medicare does not cover home care services in their entirety. The keyword here is “Entirety,” and that pretty much spells out that there are some limitations that you would likely experience when it comes to enjoying Medicare care services. If you are extremely old or have a medical condition that takes a real toll on your body and makes it difficult for you to get around in your home or go out to get things, then Medicare can step in. The health care system would, from time to time, step in and offer a level of help to ensure that you do not spend a lot of money trying to cater to the bills.
While Medicare will provide payment for home care aides for people suffering from significant heal deterioration, you should note that the services come with conditions. One of them is that the health system only provides payment for short-term caregivers. This means that people who are likely to get a Medicare health aide are those whose treatment will not last a couple of months or a reasonable short time. They would also need to be seriously ill, have undergone surgery and recovering, or are experiencing movement-limiting injuries.
Medicare will also not provide services for people who are experiencing who simply need in-home caregivers for the sake of personal care, housekeeping, or other non-medical conditions that are not emergency. Medicare will, however, pay for some special short-term health services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or skilled nursing if you are limited to staying at home and if your doctor orders it.
You should note that irrespective of whatever case or medical issues you may be experiencing, Medicare would most likely demand a doctor’s report, consider the kind of care you are receiving, the reason and purpose for the care, and how long you will need it. After putting all of these factors into consideration, Medicare will then determine if you are eligible for the treatment or not.
Here are some of the key points you should take out from the above requirements needed to qualify for Medicare-covered home care services.
• Medicare will not pay for in-home caregivers if your request is strictly for personal care or housekeeping.
• Medicare will not provide payment for permanent or very long home care services
• Medicare may pay for short-term caregivers if you also need medical care to recover from surgery, an illness, or an injury.
• If your doctor orders it, Medicare will pay for short-term home health services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, or skilled nursing care or if you’re restricted to stay at home.
Of course, receiving Medicare home care services through Medicare will, like other services, be dependent on the type of plan offered, and I will be considering these plans to help you know if you actually are eligible generally before the above requirements have to be considered.
Part A
The first Part of Medicare offers mostly hospital coverage. If you have been admitted to the hospital for 3 consecutive days or if Medicare covered your stay in a skilled nursing facility, then this Part will cover home healthcare for 100 days, as long as you receive home health services within 14 days of leaving the hospital or nursing facility.
Part B
This Part is medical coverage. If you need home health services but weren’t admitted to the hospital first, Part B will cover your home healthcare. Nevertheless, you would still need to meet the main eligibility requirements.
Plans under medical advantage provide the services that original Medicare services provide (Medicare A and Medicare B). the major difference is that plans under advantage tend to have more privileges due to them be run by private insurance companies.
PART C
These plans may require you to get home healthcare from an agency in the plan’s provider network. You would need to check with your plan for details.
Part D
This plan is also Part of private insurance plans, and they usually cover some or all of the costs of the prescription drugs that you would need throughout the whole period.