The right kind of support can go a long way to help people continue to lead independent, productive lives at home.

Together, you and the person you care for should start by checking with his or her doctor about what services are needed and who provides them.  To find out if a patient is eligible for Medicare’s Home Health Care services, call the Regional Home Health Intermediary (RHHI).  A RHHI is a private company that contracts with Medicare to pay bills and check on the quality of home health care.

Home health care under the Original Medicare Plan is short-term skilled care at home after hospitalization or for the treatment of an illness or injury.   

Home health agencies provide home care services, including skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, and care by home health aides.

Medicare Home Health Care benefits are available to patients if they meet four conditions:  

• Their doctor decides the patient needs medical care in the home and makes a plan for their care at home, and
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• They need reasonable and necessary intermittent skilled care or physical therapy, continuing need for occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology ordered by the doctor and provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency.  Home health services may also include medical social services, home health aide services or other services, durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen, and walkers), and medical supplies for use at home.
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• The person is homebound.  This means they are normally unable to leave home and that leaving home is a major effort.  When he or she leaves home, it must be infrequent, for a short time.  The person may attend religious services.  He or she may leave the house to get medical treatment, including therapeutic or psychosocial care.  The person may also get care in an adult day care program that is licensed or certified by his or her state or accredited to furnish adult day care services in his or her state, and
• The home health agency caring for the person must be approved by Medicare.

Note for Women with Osteoporosis:  Medicare helps pay for an injectable drug for osteoporosis in women who have Medicare Part B, meet the criteria for the Medicare home health benefit, and have a bone fracture that a doctor certifies was related to post-menopausal osteoporosis.  The person you care for must also be certified by a doctor as unable to learn or unable to give herself the drug by injection, and that family and/or caregivers are unable or unwilling to give the drug by injection.  Medicare covers the visit by a home health nurse to give the drug.