Paying for Home Care
As we face one of these life changing moments it's not always something we have planned for emotionally or financially. The good news is that there are a diverse number of options to help cover your home care plans and Health Force is dedicated to making the payment process as easy as possible. We accept AMEX, Visa, Discover,Mastercard and PayPal. Below are some questions we think most people ask during their journey but feel free to contact us directly if you have specific questions we're happy to help.
Who Pays for Home Care?
Medicaid is a state managed program that pays the cost of health care services for people with low incomes.
Medicare is a health insurance program administered by the Social Security Administration for which people 65 and over are eligible. It has 2 parts: hospital insurance (Part A) and medical insurance (Part B). Most home care services are paid out of Part A. In most cases, patients are under the care of a home health agency for a limited time, 60 days is the initial "episode". Patients sometimes become very used to having a person assist them with personal care duties and want to continue those services. However, Medicare ONLY covers services associated with the treatment of a condition. Once the patient's goals have been met, the patient is discharged from care. Patients may opt to continue receiving care at their own expense.
Additional Payment Methods:
- Private Insurance will usually provide home health coverage if the enrollee has a separate home healthcare rider. Veteran's benefits may also cover home care services. Check individual polices for specific coverage details. If a client requests our assistance with billing a private insurance policy (such as long-term care insurance) for our services, we are happy to help with the entire "benefits coordination" process, including the provision of appropriate documentation so you may be reimbursed by the insurance carrier.
- Self Pay is an option with all home care services. Check with individual home care providers for services offered and rates. Home care services can also be paid for directly by patients and families. Affordable payment plans can be arranged, including credit cards.
- Long Term Care Insurance - many policies cover any type of home care while some cover only medically necessary care that might require assistance with activities of daily living. Be sure to check your policy.
Since home care benefits and eligibility requirements vary greatly from plan to plan and state to state, your home care agency will help you determine the specific coverage provisions of your plan.
Are home care services covered by insurance or Medicare?
Many long-term care insurance, worker's compensation, and automobile insurance policies will reimburse for these kinds of services. Additionally, funds from Reverse Mortgages, Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts are often used to pay for home care.
Health Force will help you and your family through every step of the often confusing process involved with determining what a policy will actually cover, and we will provide the documentation your insurance company requests.
Medicare does not pay for hourly companion and personal care service.
What is the cost for these types of services?
Home Care costs vary and we customize a plan of care that is unique to every client, and suitable to your budget. There are a couple of factors that help determine the exact cost- number of hours of care you receive, the level of home care services that are most suitable for you (non-medical companion, hands-on personal care, etc.), and the potential cost subsidized by insurance coverage.
Our services are typically billed on an hourly basis, which is what makes it so easy to customize a plan of care. Also, you often have the choice of multiple levels of care which assures that you are never billed an inflated rate for the services of an over-qualified caregiver.