The 5 Best Home Care Agencies for Seniors in Billings, MT for 2024

Billings, Montana, is a convenient and affordable city for more active seniors to retire to. It was ranked in the top 100 U.S. cities for both transportation and quality of living by Caring’s 2022 Senior Living Report, which noted the low housing costs and high social involvement index. Seniors in Billings have access to several hospitals. For example, the Billings Clinic provides primary and specialty care and is equipped to deal with seniors’ medical needs.

Both home care and home health care services cost on average $5,720 each month, according to the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey. Home care differs from home health care as it does not include medical services performed by medical professionals.

Below we’ve compiled a comprehensive directory of every home care provider in Billings– complete with services offered and reviews from families who’ve actually used the service. In addition to our in-depth provider listings, we’ve compiled resources to help seniors and their families to access all the tools they need to age in place safely and gracefully.

Billings is an expensive city for home care in comparison to neighboring cities in Montana. Monthly costs for home care in Billings are slightly higher than the state average of $5,339, with a difference of $381. In fact, compared to the other cities in Montana surveyed by Genworth, only Billings surpasses the state average. Great Falls has a monthly average of $4,698 and Missoula an average of $5,243. Billings is also more expensive monthly than the national average of $4,957. Nearby city Idaho Falls has a cost of $5,720, reflecting neighboring Idaho’s higher state average of $5,434.

Average home care and home health care costs in Billings are the same at $5,720 per month. The difference between home care and home health care is that home health care includes medical services. This involves wound care or sometimes occupational, physical and speech therapy. Home care is more expensive than both adult day health care and an assisted living facility, which are $3,467 and $4,564, respectively, but it also provides seniors with greater freedom and comfort in their own homes. In contrast, skilled nursing care in a home costs around $1885 more.

Given the high cost of in-home care, many people use one or more forms of financial assistance to cover the expenses. Below, we explain some of the most common sources of financial help for paying for in-home care. If none of these options are available to you, you can reach out to your Area Agency on Aging or Aging and Disability Resource Center to learn about local resources.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance covers expenses related to senior care, including in-home care. Depending on the policy type, beneficiaries may receive a cash payment to use towards long-term care or reimbursement for qualifying long-term care expenses. Note that there are limitations- typically a maximum benefit of $150 per day- and exact coverage terms vary depending on the exact policy, so always check the details.
• Medicare: Medicare does not cover in-home care because it is classified as custodial, or non-medical, care. However, some Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, which offer expanded benefits, may cover in-home custodial care.
• Medicaid: Medicaid coverage of in-home care varies between different states because it is not a federally mandated benefit. Currently, all states cover some in-home care either through their standard Medicaid or a waiver program. The specific coverage rules are set individually by each state.
• Veterans’ Benefits: The Aid and Attendance benefit is a monthly cash payment that beneficiaries can use to pay for senior care, including in-home care services. To qualify for A&A, Veterans must already receive the VA pension and meet several additional requirements, including needing assistance with the activities of daily living. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to learn more.
• Reverse Mortgages: Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) are federally insured loans that are available to homeowners age 62 and over. Reverse mortgages allow you to access a portion of your home’s equity in cash, tax free. Many seniors use reverse mortgages to finance their care expenses, including in-home care. Note that although there are no monthly payments due on reverse mortgage loans, borrowers do have to repay the loan once the last surviving homeowner passes away, moves, or sells the home.