Does Medicare pay for in-home caregivers?

When does Medicare pay for a home health aide?

Medicare pays for part-time or intermittent home health aide care, like help with walking, bathing or grooming, changing bed linens and feeding, only if you're also getting skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language pathology services or occupational therapy at the same time. The aide care is part of Medicare's home health benefit, which Part A and Part B cover when all of these apply:

• You need part-time or intermittent skilled services. You won't qualify if you need more than part-time or intermittent skilled care.
• You're homebound: leaving your home isn't recommended because of your condition, or you have trouble leaving without help (like a cane, wheelchair, walker or crutches, special transportation, or help from another person) because of an illness or injury; and you're normally unable to leave your home, and leaving takes a lot of effort.
• A doctor or other health care provider, like a nurse practitioner, sees you in person, confirms you need home health care and orders it.
• A Medicare-certified home health agency provides the care.

How many hours of in-home care does Medicare cover?

If you qualify, you can get unlimited home health visits, and home health staff should visit you as often as your provider orders. In most cases, “part-time or intermittent” means you may be able to get skilled nursing care and home health aide services up to 8 hours a day (combined), for a maximum of 28 hours a week. You may be able to get more frequent care for a short time (less than 8 hours a day and up to 35 hours a week) if your provider decides it's necessary.

You can leave home for medical treatment or for short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, like attending religious services, and you can still get home health care if you attend adult day care.

What in-home care doesn't Medicare pay for?

Medicare doesn't pay for these kinds of help at home:

• 24-hour-a-day care at your home.
• Home meal delivery.
• Homemaker services, like shopping and cleaning, unrelated to your care plan.
• Custodial or personal care that helps with daily living activities, like bathing, dressing or using the bathroom, when this is the only care you need.

What do I pay for Medicare-covered care at home?

You pay nothing for covered home health services. After you meet the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for Medicare-covered medical equipment.

Before your care starts, the home health agency should tell you how much Medicare will pay, and tell you, both verbally and in writing, about any items or services Medicare won't pay for and how much you'd owe. The agency must give you an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) before giving you a home health service or supply that Medicare probably won't cover, for example because the care is only nonskilled personal care, like help with bathing or dressing. See how Medicare covers home health care.

Can I get help at home in other ways?

Medicare and most health insurance, including Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), don't pay for long-term care services, including care in a nursing home or in the community. Other programs may help:

• Medicaid: your state's Medicaid program may help cover home- and community-based services, like at-home care, home-delivered meals, home modifications and adult day care, if you qualify. Contact your state Medicaid office.
• PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), a Medicare and/or Medicaid program available in some states, may cover home care and personal care and support services. You can join if you're at least 55, live in a PACE organization's service area, need a nursing home level of care (as certified by your state) and can live safely in the community with help from PACE.
• Hospice: for people who qualify for Medicare hospice care, the hospice plan of care may include aide and homemaker services, depending on the terminal illness and related conditions. See how Medicare covers hospice.
• Long-term care insurance: policies vary widely; some may only cover nursing home care, while others may cover a range of services, like adult day care, assisted living, medical equipment and informal home care.

Does Medicare Advantage or Medigap change in-home care coverage?

Medicare Advantage plans must cover all medically necessary services that Original Medicare covers, and some offer extra benefits; rules and costs vary by plan, so if you get Medicare through a Medicare Advantage plan, check with your plan about its home health benefits. Medigap doesn't pay for long-term care services. If you have a Medigap policy or other health insurance, tell your doctor or other provider so your home health bills get paid correctly.