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Does Medicare Cover Home Health Care?
Date Updated: January 30, 2025
Written by:
Leigh Morgan has more than 15 years of experience writing about senior care. She’s the author of “Financial Safety for Seniors: 77 Tips for Preventing Elder Financial Abuse” and has written hundreds of articles about Medicare, Medicaid, assisted living communities, nursing homes and memory care. Morgan developed an interest in senior care while recruiting home health nurses, certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians for a large health care system.
Reviewed by:
Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
Medicare covers home health care when a beneficiary needs medically necessary services and meets eligibility criteria. Many seniors need home health services to manage chronic conditions or recover from acute illnesses and injuries.
An Overview of Home Health Care
Home health care consists of services and supplies provided by licensed professionals, including nurses and physical, occupational and speech therapists. The most common services include injections, nutrition therapy, physical therapy and wound care. Home health professionals also monitor vital signs and educate patients about their health.
In some cases, Medicare pays for medical social services, which address the social, financial and emotional issues related to a beneficiary's care. Medical social workers also help patients access federal, state and local benefits.
Medically Necessary Services
Medicare classifies a service as medically necessary if it helps diagnose or treat an injury, illness, condition, disease or symptom. The service must also meet the accepted standards of medicine, so Medicare rarely pays for experimental or investigational treatments. Medicare has exceptions for clinical research studies, which help researchers assess the safety and effectiveness of new treatments.
Benefits of Home Health Care
Home health care allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive medical services at home instead of in a hospital. This can prevent complications that may develop during hospital stays, such as hospital-acquired infections. Receiving health services at home also offers a convenient alternative to taking public transportation or asking loved ones for rides. Some seniors have medical conditions that prevent them from driving, making it difficult to get to a hospital or doctor's office for treatment.
Finally, home health services help seniors remain self-sufficient, regain their independence and maintain as much function as possible. Sometimes, home health care helps slow the decline associated with chronic diseases, thus helping Medicare beneficiaries more effectively manage their conditions.