Patients who are homebound and require part-time or intermittent skilled services may be eligible for home healthcare services under Medicare Parts A and B, which cover hospital insurance and medical insurance, respectively.
This includes those who are unable or have difficulty leaving their home due to using a wheelchair, cane, walker, or crutches as a result of illness or injury, as well as those who are not advised to leave their home due to their condition.
Home Healthcare Services that are Covered by Medicare
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology services, medical social services, injectable osteoporosis drugs for women, medical supplies for home use, and even part-time or intermittent home health aide care are included in Medicare’s Home Health coverage, with the patient having to pay for a skilled nurse during the same time as the aide.
Typically, a home healthcare firm will arrange the services that your doctor has ordered for you. You must be cared for by a Medicare-certified home health agency.
Medicare does not cover:
- 24-hour care in the comfort of your own home
- Delivered meals to your door
- Homemaker services (such as grocery shopping and housekeeping) that are unrelated to your care plan
- When this is the only care you require, custodial or personal care that assists you with daily living activities (such as showering, dressing, or using the restroom) is provided.
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Receiving Home Healthcare
- There is no cost for covered home health care services.
- 20% of the Medicare-Approved Amount for Medicare-covered medical equipment once you have met the Part B deductible.
Before you begin receiving home health care, the home health agency should inform you of how much Medicare will cover.
The organization should also inform you if any of the items or services you receive are not covered by Medicare and how much you will have to pay for them.
This should be stated both verbally and in writing. Before providing you with treatments and materials that Medicare does not cover, the home health agency should provide you with a notification known as the Advance Beneficiary notification” (ABN).