Will Medicare pay for a caregiver?

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_image src=”http://livingwellhomecareagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/will-medicare-pay-for-a-caregiver-banner-1.jpg” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”will-medicare-pay-for-a-caregiver-banner” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Somehow, to be eligible for Medicare can mean getting support in handling medical expenses. To take advantage of this, it seems all you need to confirm is if someone is qualified for it. But certain conditions are probably hard to process and possibly unacceptable. For example, does Medicare pay for a caregiver?

Carry the caregiving cost or not?

The requirements to be qualified for Medicare are somehow simple. A person can be 65 years old and above, suffering from end-stage renal disease, or has a disability. As for the type of care providers, the federal government health insurance program typically favors the conventional approach. It means that, most likely, the care recipients should be in a hospital or nursing home to gain access to the assistance. So, what about in-home caregiving? Will the eligible members need to be admitted to these facilities instead? 

To clarify, Medicare also supports caregiving services provided for residences. It is just that the health insurance program has certain conditions in this setup.

It is certified and taken care of by a doctor. Patients need not stay in the hospital to recover or maintain their medication. Some cases are fine to administer at home for the comfort of the care recipients. Their doctors approve their in-home health care. Their recommendation is a valid point for Medicare to provide support. 

It recognized one’s home health agency. Another critical ideal to check is if the home care agency is Medicare-approved. It may work both ways for the care receivers and recipients. One is easy processing of support, and the agency is familiar with the policies of the health insurance program. For one thing, its caregivers should be well-coordinated with the patients’ doctors.

It approves short-term home health aide. Some treatments for injury, surgery, or stroke only last for weeks. It is the same with medical cases such as lesions, burns, or other postoperative wound care. The good news is Medicare also covers these. 

Ideally, the short-term treatment should not be more than three weeks. But that is not the main point here, but the health concern. Some types of care providers that Medicare supports include speech, physical or occupational therapists. It also engages nursing assistants or home health aides. 

So, in general, it means that Medicare may not shoulder the expense for home care services that involve personal care and daily living. Some examples of these are laundry, home management, or running errands. However, if the injured or ill patients require personal care, the insurance program may approve it.  

A few more notes about Medicare

To sustain the support from the program for home healthcare providers, care providers or recipients must do the following:

Have a regular in-person visit with the doctor. Patients need to set a check-up at least 30 days after the start of the program. It can also be less than 90 days before it.

Not for round-the-clock or long-term assistance. There are probably exemptions from the rule, but Medicare favors short-term caregiving over long-term ones. It is also not keen to support 24/7 or live caregiving. Typically, it considers less than eight-hour a day.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]