If a patient qualifies for coverage of at-home care, Medicare pays the full amount of the home care agency's charges, except for the rental cost of durable medical equipment such as a wheelchair or hospital bed (for which Medicare pays 80 percent). Sometimes, a patient's Medicare Advantage managed care plan or medigap insurance policy will pick up this extra 20 percent; otherwise, patients have to pay for it personally. The home care agency is not allowed to bill patients for any amount above the Medicare-approved charges.

Medicare doesn't put any specific limit on the number of home care visits it will cover, nor on the total number of days patients can be served by the home healthcare agency. But coverage will continue only as long as they meet all of the qualifying conditions for coverage. A patient's condition and needs are regularly evaluated by the agency and by Medicare itself to determine how long the agency's care is medically needed and thus how long Medicare will keep paying.