Does Medicare Cover Home Health Care? An educational guide to understand your benefits.

If you or a loved one has Medicare and needs skilled medical care at home after an illness, surgery, or injury, you may be entitled to home health services at little or no cost. Here is what you need to know.

What is Medicare home health care?

Medicare home health is a benefit under Medicare Part A that pays for skilled medical care delivered in your home. It is not the same as ongoing personal care or housekeeping, it is medically necessary treatment ordered by your doctor and provided by a certified home health agency like Project Health Corp.

When you qualify, Medicare covers 100% of approved services with no copay and no deductible for home health visits.

Do you qualify? Four requirements

To receive Medicare home health benefits, you must meet all four of the following criteria:

✓ You are homebound. Leaving your home requires a considerable effort due to your illness or injury. You may still leave occasionally for medical appointments, religious services, adult day care, or rare events — and still qualify.

✓ Your doctor ordered home health services. A physician or qualified practitioner must certify your need for home health care and establish a plan of care.

✓ You need a skilled service. You require skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, or have an ongoing need for occupational therapy.

✓ Your agency is Medicare-certified. Services must come from a Medicare-certified home health agency. Project Health Corp is Medicare-certified and CHAP-accredited.

IMPORTANT: FACE-TO-FACE VISIT REQUIREMENT

Your doctor must have seen you within 90 days before — or 30 days after — the start of home health services, and that visit must relate to the reason you need home health care.

What services are covered?

Skilled nursing

A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse can provide wound care, medication management, IV therapy, post-surgical monitoring, and patient education — all in your home.

Physical therapy

A licensed physical therapist helps you regain strength, balance, and mobility , especially valuable after a hip/knee replacement, stroke, or a fall.

Occupational therapy

An occupational therapist helps you relearn daily activities like dressing, bathing, and cooking so you can live as independently as possible.

Speech-language pathology

Speech therapy addresses communication, swallowing, and cognition problems that often follow a stroke or neurological event.

Medical social services

A social worker can connect you with community resources and help you and your family plan for ongoing care needs.

Home health aide services

When you are receiving another skilled service, a home health aide can assist with personal care tasks like bathing and grooming. This is covered only alongside skilled care.

NOT COVERED UNDER THIS BENEFIT

Medicare home health does not cover around-the-clock custodial care, meal delivery, personal care when no skilled service is needed, or homemaker services. If you need non-skilled support, ask us about our private pay and Medicaid waiver options.

How long can I receive services?

Medicare covers home health in 60-day periods called certification periods. At the end of each period, your doctor reviews your condition and decides whether to recertify continued care. There is no hard cap on the number of periods, but coverage only continues if you still meet all eligibility requirements — meaning you remain homebound, your condition still requires skilled care, and your doctor recertifies the need. Once you no longer need skilled services or are no longer homebound, coverage ends.

How do I get started?

Getting started is straightforward:

✓ Talk to your doctor about whether home health is right for your condition.

✓ Medicare gives you the right to choose your home health provider. Ask your doctor or discharge planner to refer you to Project Health Corp.

✓ Our intake team works to schedule your first visit as quickly as possible, often within 48 hours.

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-Have a Medicare Advantage plan? Benefits may differ — call us and we will verify your coverage

-Project Health Corp does not accept payment from patients for Medicare-covered services

*Sources: CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 7; CMS Home Health Services Compliance Tips (updated February 2026). This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Individual eligibility may vary.