Does anyone know if Medicare covers any home health care? I know Medicaid does, and I read that in some instances Medicare will pay for some home health care, but not exactly sure what the specifics are... can anyone help?
I don't know muchg but I do know Medicare will pay for some if ordered by Dr. after a surgery (or other in hospital stay) but it has to include care by a nurse, PT, OT or the like. Not just in-home help.
Yes, Medicare will cover home health care, but as carosi said, only if ordered by a doctor. We've had it twice this year. The first time was when Sid had an infection in his toe - he's diabetic, so that's very dangerous. It needed to be cleaned and the dressing changed every day. I was going to DC for a few days, so they sent in a home health nurse to do it, and paid for her to continue until the infection was healed, even though I had come back, and could have done it myself. The second time was when Sid went on a new diabetes medication. The nurse came for almost a month - about twice a week to monitor his glucose levels and reactions to the new meds.
Where I live, in New Mexico, I tried to get home health care at one point and they said that medicare wouldn't cover it unless he needed physical help with bathing and going to the bathroom and things like that but he, at the time, wasn't in need of that so I would have to pay full price for their services that I would have been using like watching him while I do errands and things like that.
I, too,am in New Mexico. Is your DH on any other insurance besides Medicare? I have been round the ropes in New Mexico on this subject for 4 years now. If you would like to e-mail me at sheltifan@q.com I can share how my spouse has received in home care for the last 3 years. It's no secret, but others may be bored with state specific requirements.
Yes, sheltifan2, my DH also has veterans. He is still able to take care of himself physically but I don't know how much longer that will be. I did call the Alz. assoc. and they gave me a lot of places that I could take him to that would cost less or nothing and I checked one of them out but he is not bad off enough to use that facility. I guess I am just jumping the gun, I don't know, I just don't want to wait until the last minute and then try to scamper for help.
Home healthcare as covered by Medicare is for short intermittant visits. It must be ordered and signed for by a doc. Patient must be home bound and require a skilled service such as wound care, Pt, med adjustment and so on. While the skilled service is in an aide may come just for bathing. I was a home health nurse for over 20 years and loved every moment of it.
We had a doctor who came to the house to check on my DH, but there was NO WAY I could have left home and rushed to the store. They come in, check the patient, wound, bandage, whatever, and then they leave. This is different from Home Health CARE. I think Joan's nurse did the same thing. She wasn't there to provide respite for Joan, even for an hour. We had a Podiatrist who came to the house and a PCP who came to the house. For those of you interested in doctors who make House Calls, keyword: House Call Doctors .. and maybe there is a group in your area. We used the same one for three years and it was amazing.. They had cardiologists who brought in portable Echocardiograph machines, lab techs who came to the house and took blood for his blood work. I will always remember the time the nurse wanted a urine specimen. He stayed and stayed in the bathroom, and finally was able to give her the little cup. Later he said, "I couldn't pee, so I just filled the cup with water from the faucet!!!". Oh my!