Which Insurance Policies Cover Home Health Care Costs?

Home healthcare is valuable for aging adults who rely on medical care, such as wound care, IV therapy or injections, and medication reminders.

Home healthcare providers like Husky Senior Care offer these services to maintain senior citizens’ general health and well-being. Home care also improves aging adults’ independence, significantly delaying their transition into retirement homes and assisted living facilities.

Cost is among the many things to consider when searching for home healthcare service providers. The total cost of caring for loved ones is a concern for most families. Ideally, home healthcare services can be paid for by the patient’s family through private insurance or other insurance options.

Here Are The Five Best Insurance Policies That Cover Home Health Care Costs

Below are the insurance policies that cover home care costs.

1. Medicare

Senior adults aged 65 and above automatically qualify for Medicare. However, Medicare covers the costs of home care services under specific circumstances. While seniors who need skilled nursing care and other therapies at home are eligible for Medicare, Medicare only covers the costs if a healthcare provider orders these services.

Simply put, a healthcare provider should authorize and review the home care plan for the senior adult. The care services should also be provided part-time (maximum of 8 hours daily or 28 hours weekly) and by a Medicare-approved home healthcare agency.

2. Medicaid

Medicaid covers the costs of home care services for seniors with low income – below 133% of the federally approved poverty line. Eligibility for Medicaid differs among states. However, states should provide mandatory home care coverage to:

3. Medical Health Insurance

Unfortunately, most private insurance providers don’t have personal home care coverage. Health insurance covers very limited and specific long-term care types. Private insurance options and employer’s health insurance often follow the same guidelines as Medicare.

The few that include home care in their policies only pay for short-term, skilled, and medically-necessary care. Disability insurance does not cover home care costs.

4. Long-term Care Insurance

Unlike conventional medical health insurance policies, long-term care insurance policies cover the costs of in-home care for seniors. This includes personal and custodial home care in different settings, which could be your home, community organizations, nursing home, or assisted living facilities.

However, note that long-term care insurance is a private (out-of-pocket) health insurance with specific policies tailored to fit the healthcare needs of the elderly. Most policies provide coverage for nursing homes and assisted living care. Unlike third-party insurance providers like Medicare, policyholders often have to wait between 30 and 120 days to access their funds.

5. Life Settlements

Surprisingly, some life insurance policies have home care and long-term care coverage. Policies with accelerated death benefits often provide cash advances to senior adults while they are still alive.

However, the money paid upfront is subtracted from the total amount received by beneficiaries upon death. Life insurance policyholders with life-threatening conditions, who need long-term care, permanently live in nursing homes, or are terminally ill can benefit from this policy.

Endnote

Insurance policies for long-term care, such as in-home care services, significantly differ. Apart from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance, third-party insurance payers, such as Older Americans Act, Veterans Administration, and Social Services Block Grant Programs, can cover home healthcare costs.

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