Understand your options. Many home health care agencies accept a variety of payment options and often are willing to work with your family to plan appropriate financing and coordinate insurance payments. Some of the best providers will offer to explain and handle your insurance benefits for you, and in some cases, even direct bill payers to alleviate the need for advance payments and reimbursements.

Medicare is one of the largest payors of home health care services. To be eligible, you must be age 65 or over or defined as “disabled” for two years for Social Security purposes. The Medicare home health benefit is designed to help with recovery from an injury or illness, to manage a chronic condition, or to help with other short-term, intermittent needs. It may cover a range of skilled care services such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Home health aide services (a.k.a. personal care or assistive care) are sometimes covered if deemed necessary along with skilled services. A physician’s referral is always required for care. For the U.S. government’s full summary of Medicare home health care benefits, see Medicare Home Health Care Benefits.

Every state has a government program that provides medical assistance to people who meet income eligibility requirements. If Social Security is your primary source of income, and your home is your main asset, you may meet Medicaid requirements. The Affordable Care Act made it easier to apply for Medicaid, and it standardized modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) as the basis for determining eligibility for this and other tax credit and cost reduction programs. In addition, some states choose to expand their Medicaid coverage for low-income adults. An attorney may be able to provide guidance on eligibility requirements. Qualifications vary from state to state, as the population ages, more Americans are assuming the responsibility of caregiving for their loved ones. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, about 44 million Americans provide 37 billion hours of unpaid, “informal” care each year for their loved ones. These family caregivers provide the majority of caregiving support in the United States. Caregiving can take an enormous toll on the health and well-being of the caregiver who often also need support and resources. But general information about eligibility is available at. Medicaid Eligibility