Alternative Means To Taking Care Of Home Health Care Expenses

By Author: Larry Chandler
Total Articles: 739
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The general public is aware that for those individuals who end up in a nursing home with no means to pay for the services then either the state or federal government will cover the costs. However, some people would rather stay in the privacy and comfort of their own place and receive home health care. Luckily, there are a few different sources of funding to help these people meet their wishes. Most of the time the best source of funds are Medicare, Medicaid, the Older American Act, the Social Services program and the Veterans Administration.

Medicare

In the United States people who are at least 65 years old and above typically qualify for Medicare benefits. In order to receive home health care the patient will need to first meet with a doctor. The doctor will then prescribe the necessary treatments that are fulfilled by a local Medicare agency. However, these are temporary services offered on a very strict window of time. Nurses, physical therapists and nursing assistants typically visit a patient one or two times a week and do not stay for more than an hour.

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Medicaid

This is a program that is run by each individual state. The program is aimed at helping citizens with lower incomes. Each state has its own rules to determine which people are eligible for any type of medical benefits. In the case of home health care the patient must be currently receiving income assistance from a federal source such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children or Social Security.

The Older American Act

This program that began in 1965 offers money for state and local programs geared towards helping senior citizens keep their independence. The federal funds can be used towards a wide variety of services such as meal deliveries, home chores, personal home health care and some limited shopping tasks.

Social Services Program

States annually receive block grants from the United States Federal government. These grants are used to take care of social needs identified by the state. A portion of the funds will go towards home health care needs for the truly needy.

Veterans Administration

Veterans who currently are 50% or more disabled and receive injuries during their service can receive financial assistance from the Veterans Administration. A doctor will evaluate the patient and determine which home health care services are needed. Then the local care unit will provide the services to the veteran.

In addition to these large organizations that provide aid to thousands of patients every year there are also community based groups as well. The American Cancer Society as well as the Alzheimer’s Association both has ways to pay for home health care for needy individuals. And there are several private payer groups that can help pay for part of the services as well such as workers’ compensation, managed care associations and health insurance policies. Based on the wide number of groups offering to help pay for home health care needs it is possible for people to find quite a bit of help with the care for loved ones without having to pay for the total cost out of their own pocket.

Larry Chandler is a freelance writer for Visiting Angels a company that specializes in non-medical home health care . For more information on senior home care visit their website at Visitingangels.com.