Given the choice, the majority of individuals would rather recuperate in the comfort of their own home rather than stay in the hospital overnight.
With advancements in medical treatments and care, recovery from major surgery at home has become increasingly possible. Home health care offers a cost-effective and convenient alternative to services provided at hospitals or nursing care facilities.
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health care refers to short-term medical services provided in the home to promote recovery, maintain independence and restore health or lessen the effects of illness and disability.
Home health care provides “clinical” or “skilled” care by licensed nurses and therapists with the most common services including:
— Occupational therapy. This helps improve the ability to do daily tasks like dressing or cooking.
— Physical therapy. This kind of therapy is important for regaining strength, mobility and balance.
— Medical social services. These services include connecting seniors to resources, counseling or care planning.
— Skilled nursing. While monitoring recovery, nurses can help with wound care, medication management, IV therapy and other medical necessities.
— Speech-language therapy. These therapists help with speech, swallowing and communication after a stroke, brain injury or other serious illness.
[See: Physical Therapy vs. Occupational Therapy: What’s the Difference?]
Does Medicare Cover Home Health Care?
If you are signed up for original Medicare, which consists of Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance), you can use your benefits to cover certain home health care services.
Medicare covers in-home skilled nursing and therapy services when your health care provider determines that the care you need requires the specialized skills of a nurse or therapist and you cannot regularly leave your home to receive these services.
They must certify that you are “homebound,” which means it’s very difficult for you to leave your home without significant help or it takes a lot of effort to do so. Most of the time, you don’t leave home at all, or your doctor advises against it because of your illness or injury.
“There are exceptions for short periods, however, such as going to certain appointments, attending a religious service or occasional special event,” adds Lance Slatton, a Livonia, Michigan-based certified senior care manager and founder of the All Home Care Matters podcast.
In addition to being homebound, you must also receive home health care services within 14 days of your discharge, Slatton says.
What home health-related services Medicare covers
Home health services are designed to support you while you recover, and sometimes that is more than just a nurse or therapist coming to you.
If your doctor thinks your recovery can be helped further, Medicare offers other benefits provided by specialists. These benefits may include:
— Durable medical equipment, such as canes, walkers and scooters
— Injectable osteoporosis drugs for women
— Medical supplies for use at home, such as blood sugar monitors, test strips and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines
— Nutrition support
— Part-time or intermittent home health aide care only if you’re also getting skilled nursing care at the same time
What Medicare doesn’t cover
There are several care services that Medicare does not cover
, including:
— Continuous daytime care at home
— Meal delivery services to your home
— Homemaker services, such as food shopping and cleaning
— Custodial or personal care that helps you with daily living activities — like bathing, dressing or using the bathroom — when this is the only care you need
[Read: Hiring an In-Home Caregiver: What to Consider]
How Do You Qualify for Medicare Home Health Care?
For an individual to qualify for home health care services they must have a meeting with their doctor or qualifying health care professional to determine if they meet the criteria, according to Medicare.gov. If the provider considers it necessary, they will place an order for care with a home health care agency.
The home health agency must first complete an initial assessment of all your care needs and share this information with the doctor or approved provider managing your care plan. After the initial review, the agency must regularly reassess your needs. The agency is responsible for addressing all medical, nursing, rehabilitative, social and discharge planning needs outlined in your home health care plan.
[Read: How Much Do In-Home Caregivers Cost?]
Home Health Care vs. Home Care: What’s the Difference?
Despite the abundance of information available, understanding the differences between home health care and home care can be challenging.
Below is a chart highlighting the differences and similarities in services covered:
| Home health care (skilled care) | Home care (non-skilled care) | |
| Original Medicare-approved | Yes | No |
| Medicare Advantage-approved | Yes, but may vary depending on the insurer | No |
| Medicaid-approved | Depends on the state | Depends on the state |
| Skilled nursing | Yes | No |
| Rehabilitation therapy | Yes | No |
| Meal preparation | No | Yes |
| Activities of daily living | No | Yes |
| Requirements for enrollment | Yes | No, unless you’re enrolling in a Medicaid-funded program |
Source: National Council on Aging
How Long Will Medicare Pay for In-Home Care?
Medicare will pay the costs of those receiving home health care services when the individual is enrolled in Part A and Part B. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may incur out-of-pocket costs and coverage may be different. Check your plan to determine your specific benefits.
Medicare covers home health care for as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements. However, coverage is generally limited to “intermittent” care — meaning fewer than seven days a week and usually less than eight hours a day, for up to 21 days at a time. Extensions are possible if your doctor certifies that you still need it, but this is not a long-term benefit.
Before your home health care starts, the agency should clearly explain what Medicare will cover and what it won’t. They’ll let you know how much you may need to pay for any services or items not covered. This information should be given to you both in writing and in person, so you fully understand your costs before care begins.
How to Find Home Health Care
Many hospitals and health care systems now offer their own in-house home health care services to make it more convenient to find qualified care.
“This can be a tremendous benefit to the patient having their care all within the same system,” Slatton says.
To find Medicare-certified home health agencies in your area, use Medicare’s official health care finder tool, which can provide families with information about how efficient the home health care companies are providing care for their patients.
You can only receive care from one home health agency at a time, but you have the right to switch agencies whenever you choose. To do so, you need to inform both the agency you are leaving and the new one you’re joining and secure a new referral from your doctor or a qualified provider.
Find the Best Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Plans With U.S. News
If you’re thinking of enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan and anticipate needing coverage for home health care, start your search with U.S. News’ Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage 2025 and Best Medicare Part D Companies. You can also look for and compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, bundled Medicare Advantage and Part D plans and Medicare supplement plans near you with the U.S. News search and compare tool.
To determine the top-rated insurance companies, U.S. News consulted with Medicare experts to identify and weigh the most important quality measures for Medicare Advantage consumers, applied these weights to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and then adjusted for enrollment.
Bottom Line
Most people prefer to recover at home rather than in a hospital. Home health care provides short-term skilled services delivered at home to support recovery, independence and health. Medicare covers these services if you are considered homebound, your doctor certifies the need for skilled care and the care is intermittent rather than full-time. Coverage includes nursing, therapy, medical supplies and certain equipment, but not custodial care, meal delivery, homemaking or 24/7 in-home care. Home health agencies must coordinate with your doctor, explain coverage and costs clearly and reassess your needs regularly throughout your care.
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Does Medicare Cover Home Health Care? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/28/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
