Home Health Care

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Home Health Care.

What is home health care?

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Home health care provides clinical or skilled health services in a person's home. Depending on medical needs, services may include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and certain home health aide services.

What is the difference between home health care and home care?

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Home health care is generally medical or clinical care delivered by qualified health professionals. Home care generally provides non-medical assistance such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, companionship, and household tasks. A person may receive both types of services at the same time.

Who qualifies for home health care?

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Eligibility depends on the payer and services needed. For Medicare-covered home health services, a person generally must need qualifying part-time or intermittent skilled services, meet Medicare's homebound criteria, and have care ordered by an eligible health care provider.

What services does home health care provide?

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Services may include skilled nursing, wound care, medication education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, medical social services, and qualifying home health aide services.

Does Medicare cover home health care?

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Medicare may cover eligible home health services when specific requirements are met. Medicare does not generally cover 24-hour home care, meal delivery, or personal care when personal care is the only service needed.

Do I need a doctor's order for home health care?

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For Medicare-covered home health services, care must be ordered by an eligible health care provider and provided through a Medicare-certified home health agency.

Can home health care help after a hospital stay?

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Yes. Home health is commonly used to help people recover or manage health needs at home after hospitalization, surgery, illness, or injury.

How do I choose a home health agency?

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Consider services offered, availability, communication, clinical experience, insurance participation, patient experience, and quality measures. Medicare also publishes quality and patient survey ratings for Medicare-certified home health agencies.