What kinds of agencies provide home health care?
• Medicare-certified Home Care Agencies • Private Duty Agencies • Non-Medical Home Care Agencies • Hospice • Home Medical Equipment Companies • Home Infusion Companies • Mobile Diagnostic Companies • Visiting Physician Agencies Who pays for Home Care? Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial Insurances, and HMO’s typically cover certified home care services when the criteria are met. Home care agencies will assist in determining your specific coverage and any co-pays. Private Duty and Non-Medical Home Care services are usually on a private pay basis. What is the Medicare criteria for home care? In order to receive home care services under Medicare, the patient must require skilled, intermittent nursing care, physical therapy, or speech therapy, have a physician’s order for home care, and be essentially homebound. Medicare considers a person to be homebound if leaving the home would require a considerable and taxing effort and if he has a condition due to an illness or injury which restricts his
