Does Medicare pay for a 24 hour home health care if patient is elderly and bedridden ?

Question

Home alone except for the home health care a few hours three days a week.

Answer 1

no, they wont pay for 24 hours a day unfortunately...depending on her finances, you might look into medicaid to help with the cost..

Answer 2

The thing to know about Medicare is that this program is insurance for acute illnesses. This means that if you are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and Part B bills pertaining to procedures that are deemed "medically necessary" will be paid for.

"Medically necessary" is the most important term. Medicare will not pay for any procedure or care that does not fit in this definition. Yes, Medicare will pay for nursing home care that might be needed by someone who needs care after a hip replacement or after a hospitalization for some other health episode. But, if the doctor determines that there will be no further recovery for a person--say someone who just has suffered a stroke--Medicare benefits basically end. This is because Medicare does not pay for the costs of day-to-day care if the care will not improve the person's health after the acute health episode. Although there are a few (very few!) exceptions, Medicare generally does not pay for in-home services for elders in their homes,

Many--and I do mean a whole lot of people I know-- get Medicare confused with Medicaid. Medicaid is a health insurance program for the poor or "medically indigent." Medicaid is only available to folks who meet stringent financial guidelines. If one qualifies for Medicaid--and folks at the state level determine this--then costs of the nursing home stay will be paid. Many states have in-home care options that may be accessed by elders who are eligible for Medicaid.

Medicare and about Medicaid coverage and policies--including the one I just mentioned above--can be confusing and complicated. Most people want "real people" to talk to about these sorts of situations. I would suggest that you call your local Area Agency on Aging. Not only can they help you walk through the peculiarities of Medicare and Medicaid, they will know of other resources that might help you in your care-giving situation. And these folks are not "selling" anything. If you live in the United States or one of the territories, there is one where you live. You can call toll-free 1-800-677-1116 to find out the one serving you. Each Area Agency on Aging has professionals available to answer questions and guide care givers of elders to the best solution for their situation. You will most likely find the people there friendly and very helpful.

If you do contact your local Area Agency on Aging and like the help that they give you, let your local county officials and your folks in Congress know, too. Area Agencies on Aging are funded by the Older Americans Act and don't have big budgets for advertising and certainly don't have budgets that support campaign contributions!

Thanks for caring! I hope this helps you and your loved one!

Answer 3

no, they wont pay for 24 hours a day unfortunately, depending upon your finance.