Medicare coverage of home care may be limited.

All four of the following criteria must be met before a client can receive Medicare home health care:

A doctor must decide that care at home is necessary and make a plan of care that the staff of the home health care agency will carry out. The doctor will work with the home health care nurse to decide what kind of services are needed (including medical equipment and special foods), how often the services are needed, and what type of health care professional should provide these services. The plan may also include what the doctor expects from the treatment. The client will receive home health care as long as he is eligible and as long as the doctor says he needs it.


The client must need either intermittent (part-time) skilled nursing care (performed only by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse), physical therapy, or speech language pathology services. There are limits on the number of hours per day and days per week the client can receive skilled nursing care.


The client must be homebound. This means he/she is normally unable to leave home except for infrequent short visits or to get outside medical care.


The client must receive care by a Certified Home Health Care Agency approved by Medicare,