To qualify for Medicare home health care benefits, you must meet the following criteria.
You must be homebound on admission and during home care treatment. You are considered homebound if you:
- Are unable to leave your home
- Leave your home with considerable difficulty and with taxing effort or need of equipment
- Leave your home infrequently and only for a short time
- You may leave your home for doctor appointments, to go to church, or beauty shop appointments
You are NOT considered homebound if you:
- Leave your home often for social activities
- Drive a car (usually)
- Go to adult day care for non-medical reasons
- Do grocery shopping, go out to lunch, or run errands regularly
Medicare home health has several other requirements:
- You must have the need for a Skilled person to provide care- This means you need a Nurse, a therapist (Physical or Speech Therapy), or continuing Occupational therapy.
- You must have a need for only intermittent care- not continuous care.
- You must be eligible for Medicare services- do you have a Medicare Card? Part A covers home care services.
- You must use a Medicare Certified home care agency- Specialty is Medicare and Medicaid Certified.
Home Health services covered by Medicare:
- Intermittent skilled nursing and home health aide services
- Physical, Speech, and Occupational Therapy services
- Medical Social Worker services
- Medical supplies needed for your care
Find out more in this informational pdf: Home-Health-Benefit-Fact-Sheet