An independent public directory of home care prices

Home Care Rate CardHome care prices, signed by the agency
ES Find agencies

Guide · Reviewed September 29, 2026

Does Medicare cover home care?

The short answer

Not when personal care is the only care needed. Medicare does not pay for custodial or personal care such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom when that is the only care you need. It does pay for part-time skilled care at home, such as nursing or physical therapy, if a doctor certifies it and you are homebound.1

What Medicare covers at home

Medicare’s home health benefit is for skilled care. To use it, you must be under the care of a doctor or allowed provider who has set a plan of care, and the provider must certify that you need at least one of these:1

  • Intermittent skilled nursing care (other than drawing blood)
  • Physical therapy
  • Speech-language pathology services
  • Continued occupational therapy

The conditions

  • You must be homebound: you have trouble leaving home without help, or leaving takes a major effort. Short, infrequent outings for medical care or occasional events do not disqualify you.1
  • The home health agency must be Medicare-certified.1
  • The skilled care must be “intermittent”: needed fewer than 7 days a week, or daily for less than 8 hours a day for up to 21 days. If you are expected to need full-time skilled nursing for a long period, you will not usually qualify.1

What Medicare does not pay for

The booklet adds that an agency must give you a written notice, called an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage, before a service Medicare probably will not cover, including care that is only nonskilled personal care.1

  • 24-hour-a-day care at home
  • Meals delivered to your home
  • Services like shopping, cleaning and laundry
  • Custodial or personal care like bathing, dressing and using the bathroom, when this is the only care you need

So who pays for personal care at home

Most families pay privately. Depending on the situation, other sources may help: Medi-Cal’s In-Home Supportive Services, veterans’ benefits and long-term care insurance. See how to pay for home care. To understand why the two kinds of care are separate, read home care versus home health care.

See what licensed agencies near you charge

Every licensed agency in Los Angeles County is listed, A to Z. Rate cards appear as agencies sign them.

Find licensed agencies

Common questions

Does Medicare pay for a caregiver after surgery or a hospital stay?

Only for skilled services that meet the conditions above, such as nursing or physical therapy at home. Help with bathing, dressing and meals on its own is personal care, which Medicare does not cover when it is the only care needed.1

Does Medicare pay for a home health aide?

The booklet lists skilled nursing and therapies as the qualifying services. Personal care alone is not covered. Ask the home health agency and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) how your plan of care applies to your situation.1

Who do I call with questions about Medicare coverage?

Medicare’s number is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).1

Sources

  1. Medicare and Home Health Care (booklet 10969) Medicare.gov, accessed 29 Sep 2026