How Do I Pay for Home Care Services
Medicare, Medicaid and most employer-sponsored HMO and PPO plans will only reimburse you for intermittent visits from a home care nurse on a temporary basis and only when your loved one has a specific qualifying medical diagnosis. In general, these types of insurance policies are not designed to pay for ongoing, hourly caregiving services that are classified as “Long-Term Care.” (Use the Official Medicare Eligibility Tool to learn more.)
That said, there are many other financial options available to you in order to pay for ongoing care services:
- Long-term care insurance
- Reverse mortgages
- Employer-sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Employee-sponsored caregiving stipends, such as "Back-Up Care" programs for employees who are adult caregivers and travel for work
- Family trust funds
- Workers' compensation insurance
- Catastrophic auto insurance
- State-subsidized home- and community-based services, often referred to as "Medical Waiver" programs. (Age and income qualifications do apply.)
I was immediately impressed by the warm and friendly atmosphere of the office and by the owner, who was very up-front and real. I felt very at home with her and very at ease. [The caregivers] are not just employees. We are family and a team. We look out for one another, and we look out for the owner as well. She is supportive of our situations and is always there to encourage us to grow in our experience and knowledge.
Angela D.