.png&w=256&q=75){kind=small}
Does Medicaid Cover In-Home Care?
Date Updated: December 16, 2024
Written by:
Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
Reviewed by:
Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
Yes, Medicaid covers in-home care for eligible individuals. However, national rules don't accommodate states to fund nonmedical home care, so each state operates different programs with varying eligibility criteria and service coverage. Some states pay for in-home care through regular Medicaid, while others have waiver arrangements.
Medicaid and Medicaid Waiver Coverage of In-Home Care
Several states provide home care funding through their regular state Medicaid plans. Seniors must meet general Medicaid eligibility criteria to qualify for financial assistance. Other states subsidize senior care through waiver programs. States commonly operate Home and Community-Based Services Waivers, which relax certain criteria to widen participant eligibility and prevent nursing home admission. Some states fund home care through Section 1115 Demonstrations, experimental programs to help further Medicaid's goals.
HCBS Waivers and Section 1115 Demonstrations require seniors to meet financial and functional criteria. Eligible seniors may need to wait for funding availability for these optional programs. States must include home health care in their regular Medicaid programs, but individuals have no entitlement to in-home care coverage.
In-Home Care Services
Because states set their own rules for home care funding, covered services differ from state to state. In-home care aides support seniors to remain comfortably and safely at home rather than moving to a higher-level residential care setting, such as a nursing home. Standard home care agency services include:
- Assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, toileting, dressing and grooming
- Help with housework, laundry and meal preparation
- Support with running errands
- Transportation
- Companionship
Medicaid may also pay for accessibility features, such as ramps, grab rails and assistive technology, to support seniors who want to age in the comfort of their private residences.