Home Care Explained
Home care often gets confused with home health care. Before getting into the price, it is important to understand the difference between the two.
A home care worker helps someone with their daily activities and living such as transportation, bathing, and housekeeping. Home health services take care of patient's medical equipment and provide skilled nursing. These individuals are usually referred to as nursing assistants or nurse aides.
The Real Cost?
On average the cost for home care is $21 an hour if you hire through home care agencies. Private individuals who perform the same job can cost around 20-30% less to hire. The cost difference is due to private individuals being uninsured and unable to find someone to take their place if they cannot come into work.
Home health aides visit less than home care aides because they only come when medical attention is necessary. On average, they cost $22 per hour to hire.
It is important to note that senior living facilities may charge extra for certain illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's. In general, home care professionals will not charge extra to take care of patients with these conditions.
Can You Afford a Home Care Worker?
If you have Medicare and are looking to hire a home care worker, you may be out of luck even if you have Supplemental Insurances. Traditional Medicare does not pay for non-medical care. This means a home care worker is not covered.
If home health care is needed, it can be partially covered by Medicare and other health insurance. Medicare restricts the individuals who can use this coverage to those who require assistance to leave their homes. Those who are at risk of worse health if they leave their homes also qualify to have a home health care professional covered.
Medicare does not pay for services that include personal care during a home health care visit. A brief visit that is strictly procedures are covered under Medicare.
With Medicare Advantage (MA), patients get compensation for a functional need which lessens the chance that they will need emergency health care. This means an in-home service may be covered through the MA plan.
Medicaid programs cover non-medical home care and home health care depending on the state you are in. Those ineligible for Medicaid may qualify for an in-home assistance program.
do you need home health care?
If you need home health care, there are several options to cover the cost. If your health insurance does not cover it, you can search for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid options. Affordable home care is out there and you can pay for exactly what you need with these methods.
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