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CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES
Medicare and
Home Health Care
This is the official government booklet
about Medicare home health care benefits
for people in the Original Medicare Plan.
This booklet has important information
about the following:
Who is eligible
What services are covered
How to find and compare home health agencies
Your Medicare rights
Where to get more information
Many health care treatments that used to be done only in a
hospital can now be done in your home. Health care given in
the home is usually less expensive, more convenient, and just
as effective as care you get in a hospital or skilled nursing
facility. If you are eligible, Medicare pays for you to get certain
health care services in your home. This is known as the
Medicare home health benefit.
This book explains the Medicare home health benefit
including the following:
• The conditions you must meet to be eligible
What home health services are covered by the Original
Medicare Plan
Information on comparing and choosing home health
agencies
Where to go for more information, including extra help
paying your Medicare costs if you have limited income and
resources
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•
•
If you get your Medicare benefits through a Medicare Health
Plan, other than the Original Medicare Plan, check your plan’s
membership materials and call the plan for details about how
the plan provides your Medicare-covered home health benefits.
The information, telephone numbers, and web addresses in
this booklet were correct at the time of printing. Changes may
occur after printing. To get the most up-to-date information
and Medicare telephone numbers, visit www.medicare.gov on
the web. Or, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY
users should call 1-877-486-2048.
“Medicare and Home Health Care” isn’t a legal document.
Official Medicare Program legal guidance is contained in the
relevant statutes, regulations, and rulings.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2