[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]The cost of home health care and long-term care services is a huge concern for many families all across the United States. Year-after-year health care costs have been rising faster than the rate of inflation. As a result, many people are struggling to keep up. If you or your loved one needs ongoing, in-home support, you likely have questions about how much home health care agencies charge.
It is a difficult question to answer in the abstract, because the cost of care depends on so many different factors—most importantly, the specific needs of the patient. That being said, as a general matter, home healthcare services typically cost somewhere between $175 and $300 per day. Fortunately, there are some options available to help pay for long-term care. Not all costs need to be paid for out of pocket.
What Options Are Available to Pay for Home Health Care?
For many patients, long-term care, including home health care services, are paid for through private insurance or through a government program. Before you resign yourself to paying for home health care services out of pocket, it is recommended that you consider every potential option for obtaining coverage. More specifically, home health care services may be covered through:
- Private Insurance: If you have private health insurance or disability insurance—whether you purchased it on the individual market or you obtained it through an employer—you should check to see if you have any home health care benefits available. While not all private plans cover in-home care or long-term care, there are certainly many insurance policies that offer some level of coverage or reimbursement. If you have long-term care coverage, it is likely that home health care benefits are available.
- Medicaid: In the United States, Medicaid is the key government program that covers long-term care, including home health care. It is a valuable government program. Researchers have found that Medicaid’s home health care provisions help beneficiaries get access to immediate treatment and preventive care, thereby avoiding many hospitalizations (Segal, 2014). Though, Medicaid has very strict eligibility requirements. Home health care services will only be covered if they are deemed to be medically necessary and the patient meets the income limits and asset limits.
- State Programs: At the state level, there are some other programs beyond Medicaid that offer additional home health care coverage to qualified applicants. These programs vary widely from state to state. In certain states, there are relatively robust programs beyond Medicaid than provide coverage for home health services. However, in other states, the programs are quite narrow.
We Provide No-Cost Home Health Services to EEOICPA & RECA Beneficiaries
Our home health care agency helps people get access to free home health care services. We serve patients who are eligible for benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA) and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Under these federal programs, free home health care benefits are available to people who were employed at an approved DOE facility, worked in the atomic weapons industry, or who worked for a beryllium vendor/contractor and who developed a covered medical condition that was likely associated with their exposure to toxic substances.
We work closely with beneficiaries to help them obtain the full benefits that they rightfully deserve under federal law. Again, these are no-cost home health care services. Unlike Medicaid and state programs, EEOICPA/RECA do not have income limits or an asset test. Further, in many cases, it is possible to get a family member trained and certified to serve as a personal caregiver/home health aide. This is important because it means that home health care services provided by a family member—whether it is assistance with ADLs or light housekeeping—can be reimbursed. We will look out for your financial interests.
Find Out How Our EEOICPA & RECA Professionals Can Help
At United Energy Workers Healthcare and Four Corners Health Care, our home healthcare professionals are proud to offer high quality, fully personalized services to EEOICPA & RECA beneficiaries. Through these programs, free services may be available. We will help you understand your options for coverage through these federal programs. To get more information on what our team can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
Sources: LongTermCare.gov, (2017, October 17). Costs of Care. Retrieved from: https://longtermcare.acl.gov/costs-how-to-pay/costs-of-care.html
Segal, M. & Rollins, E. (2014) Medicare-Medicaid Eligible Beneficiaries and Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations. Medicare & Medicaid Research Review. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053188/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]