Does Medicare cover any adult daycare for mental health or Alzheimer’s patients?
In general, adult daycare provides personal monitoring and attention with structured activity in a secure environment. Medicare usually considers this type of care “custodial” rather than medical and so usually does not cover it. Medicare can cover services from an adult daycare center only in very limited circumstances. Medicare might cover actual mental health treatment, prescribed by a physician, provided at an outpatient mental health clinic. If this clinic is also an adult daycare center, the patient can get the benefit of the center’s other care services while receiving treatment there. Medicare will cover this kind of care only if, and for as long as, it involves actual medical treatment — administration and monitoring of medication, for example, or help with recovery from a medical crisis. Also, some Part C Medicare Advantage managed care plans offer limited adult daycare coverage as part of their comprehensive home care services. Medicare does not require that these plans off
