If you are insured via Medicare, and you are in need of medical care assistance at your home, you need to be fully informed about what type of services Medicare will pay for and what you will have to pay for out of your own pocket.
#1 Skilled Home Health & Nursing Services
If you need medical assistance, Medicare is designed to provide you with coverage for either a skilled home health service or with a skilled nursing service. However, Medicare is not designed to provide you with twenty-four-hour service. It is designed to provide you with a little assistance but not provide you with around-the-clock care.
For example, if you need assistance dressing your wounds or taking care of personal hygiene issues, you could get assistance with these specific tasks. Medicare home health service is designed to perform medical tasks for you that your doctor specifically instructed. Medicare will only pay for a set number of hours per week; if you require more hours than you are approved for, you will have to pay for them out of your own pocket.
#2 Medical Supplies
Generally, Medicare will cover the supplies that the skilled home health workers or nurses need to use when they are at your home to assist you with your medical care. Medicare will cover these supplies if the service you are using is approved by them.
For example, if you need to have your catheter changed, Medicare will pay for your catheter. Or, if you have wounds that need to be dressed, Medicare will cover the fee for your dressings. They will cover the full cost of most medical supplies that the health worker or nurse needs to use to assist you with your medical needs.
#3 Medical Equipment
If you have specific medical equipment that you need to use long-term and need to purchase instead of rent, Medicare will assist you with covering the cost of medical equipment. For example, if you need a wheelchair, Medicare will help you purchase it. Or if you need a walker or cane, Medicare will assist you with the cost. Medicare may require you to get a note from your doctor stating your need for this equipment in order to ensure that you really need it. Generally, Medicare will cover most of the cost of the medical equipment that you need to use at home, but will require you to pay for a smaller percentage of the equipment yourself.
#4 Therapy
Additionally, Medicare covers the cost of various types of therapy as long as the goal of the therapy is to either maintain your condition so that it does not get worse, improve your condition or help you take care of your ability to take care of yourself. Medicare will cover the cost of a variety of different types of therapy, such as speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
If you have any questions about what your Medicare will cover, contact your local Medicare office to ensure that the home health service that you need will be covered. You can also work with a company like Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living to see what services they offer.
Share5 December 2016
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