Medicare (and many private insurance companies) will help cover home health costs for beneficiaries who meet four conditions (Note: this applies to the Medicare home health benefit, not the Medicare hospice benefit):

You must be homebound. This means that:

• Leaving home is a major effort.
• You are normally unable to leave home unassisted.
• When you leave home, it must be to get medical care, or for short, infrequent non-medical reasons such as a trip to get a haircut, or to attend religious services or adult day care.

Your doctor must decide that you need medical care at home, and make a plan for your care.

You must need at least one of the following: intermittent skilled nursing care, or physical therapy or speech-language therapy or continue to need occupational therapy.

The home health agency caring for you must be approved by the Medicare program.