Does Medicare Cover Home Health Care?

Does Medicare cover home health care, and what does it cost?

Medicare covers eligible home health care under both Part A and Part B. When you meet all of the qualifying conditions, you pay $0 for the covered home health services themselves — there is no separate coinsurance for those services, and there is no limit on the number of covered home health visits you can receive.

Keep in mind that home health care is a Medicare benefit, but you must still be enrolled in Medicare to use it. In 2026, the standard Part B monthly premium is $202.90, which you continue to pay to keep Part B coverage that helps fund the home health benefit. The Part B annual deductible of $283 applies to other Part B services and to durable medical equipment — not to the home health visits themselves.

• Covered home health services: $0 when you qualify.
• Covered visits: no set limit if you continue to meet the requirements.
• Part B premium (2026): $202.90/month to keep coverage active.
• Part B deductible (2026): $283/year — applies to DME and other Part B services, not to home health visits.

Who qualifies? Eligibility and the homebound rule

To get Medicare home health coverage, you must meet several conditions. You must be under the care of a doctor or allowed provider who sets up and regularly reviews a written plan of care, and that provider must certify that you need home health care. A face-to-face assessment by a health care provider is required before you can be certified. The care must be ordered by your provider and delivered by a Medicare-certified home health agency.

You must also need skilled care on an intermittent basis — specifically skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, or continued occupational therapy.

Finally, you must be certified as homebound. Being homebound means you have trouble leaving home without help (such as a cane, wheelchair, walker, crutches, special transportation, or another person) because of an illness or injury, that leaving home isn't recommended due to your condition, and that leaving takes a considerable and taxing effort.

• A doctor or allowed provider establishes and regularly reviews your plan of care.
• A face-to-face assessment is required before certification.
• You need intermittent skilled nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, or continued occupational therapy.
• You are certified as homebound.
• The care is provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency.

Can I leave home and still be considered homebound?

Yes. Being homebound does not mean you can never leave your house. You can still qualify for home health care if you leave home for medical treatment, take short and infrequent absences for non-medical reasons (such as attending religious services), or attend adult day care.

The key is that leaving home generally requires considerable effort and the help of another person or a device. Occasional outings like these do not disqualify you from the home health benefit.

What home health services does Medicare cover?

When you qualify, Medicare covers a defined set of home health services as part of your plan of care.

• Part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care.
• Physical therapy.
• Speech-language pathology services.
• Continued occupational therapy.
• Part-time or intermittent home health aide services — but only if you are also getting skilled care.
• Medical social services.
• Certain medical supplies ordered as part of your care, such as wound dressings.

How many hours and visits will Medicare pay for?

Home health care under Medicare is "part-time or intermittent." In general, that means combined skilled nursing care and home health aide services up to 8 hours a day, for a maximum of 28 hours a week. For a short time, you may be able to get more frequent care — less than 8 hours a day and up to 35 hours a week — if your provider decides it is necessary.

There is no limit on the number of covered home health visits, but the care must stay within the part-time or intermittent rules. If you need more than part-time or intermittent skilled care, you won't qualify for the home health benefit. Medicare home health does not cover 24-hour-a-day care at home.

• Up to 8 hours a day (combined skilled nursing and home health aide).
• Maximum of 28 hours a week — with a short-term exception of less than 8 hours a day and up to 35 hours a week if your provider decides it is necessary.
• No cap on the number of covered visits if you keep qualifying.
• 24-hour-a-day home care is NOT covered.

What home health services does Medicare NOT cover?

Medicare's home health benefit is for skilled, intermittent care — not full-time help with daily living. Some common services are not covered.

• 24-hour-a-day care at home.
• Meals delivered to your home.
• Homemaker services like shopping and cleaning when they are unrelated to your care plan.
• Custodial or personal care (help with bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom) when that is the ONLY care you need.

Durable medical equipment and Medicare Advantage

Durable medical equipment (DME) such as wheelchairs and walkers is covered separately from the home health benefit. For DME, after you meet the Part B deductible of $283 (2026), you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.

If you have a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan instead of Original Medicare, the plan must cover at least the same home health benefits, but your network rules, prior authorization steps, and any plan-specific costs can differ. Coverage details vary by plan, so confirm the specifics with your plan and check your Evidence of Coverage.

Before your home health care begins, the agency should tell you in writing how much Medicare will pay and which items or services Medicare won't cover — usually through an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) — so you know your costs ahead of time.

• DME (wheelchairs, walkers): 20% coinsurance after the $283 Part B deductible.
• Medicare Advantage: covers home health, but rules and costs vary by plan — check your plan documents.
• ABN: the agency must give you a written cost notice before care starts.