Who Pays for Home Care?

VNA and Hospice Services

Medicare, Medicaid, and most private health insurance policies cover most VNA and Hospice services when ordered by a physician. Long-term care insurance and US Department of Veterans Affairs insurance also cover many home care services. In addition, there are a variety of public programs that can help with the costs of home care.

To assure that no one is denied care because of inability to pay, South Shore Hospital's Home Care programs charge on a sliding scale for VNA and Hospice-specific services not covered by insurance. For more information, please call us at 781-624-7070.

Meeting Medicare Requirements

The following basic requirements must be met to qualify for Medicare home health services:

• A physician must determine the need for home health care services, write orders for those services, and oversee patient care.
• A physician must also determine that the patient is homebound, as patients must be unable to leave home without significant effort and help from others.
• The patient must require specific skilled services provided by a nurse or therapist, and those services must be required on a part-time or intermittent basis.
• Medicare will not pay for personal care services, such as bathing or dressing, unless there is also a skilled service provided.

Private Duty Home Care Services

In most cases, private duty home care services are brought in to supplement or extend the care covered by health insurance, which means these services are usually paid for “out of pocket” by the patient or family. Home and Health Resources offers a variety of economical service packages tailored to your specific needs. We invite you to call us at 781-624-7090 to schedule a confidential, initial in-home assessment to determine which services would be most beneficial and most affordable for you.