Three Types Of Home Healthcare Services Covered By Medicare
If you are getting ready to receive home healthcare services, you need to know what types of services it covers. Here are three types of home healthcare services covered by Medicare.
Skilled Nursing Services
If your injury or illness for which you are being treated at home for requires care by a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN), this service is covered under the skilled nursing care benefit. These nurses can come into the home to evaluate and manage your home care. These nurses can also give injections, or teach you how to do them, change out catheters, administer food through a feeding tube, care for wounds, and provide any other type of medical care that may be required.
Skilled Therapy Services
This covered benefit can be broken down into the three following types of therapies:
- Physical therapy - If you need to regain movement and strength, a physical therapist will give you exercises to perform and can monitor your progress
- Occupational therapy - If you need to regain the ability to do things like personal cares and daily activities, an occupational therapist helps with this
- Speech therapy - If you need to regain speech and language abilities a speech therapist can help you
In order to be covered by Medicare, these therapists must be licensed and they must be able to either help you maintain or improve your condition.
Durable Medical Equipment
If you need certain types of medical equipment while at home, Medicare covers durable medical equipment (DME) that meets the following components:
- It needs to be durable and be able to withstand repeated use
- It needs to be used for medical reasons
- It needs to be used in the home
Medicare normally covers the following types of DME:
- Ostomy supplies
- Manual and Power Wheelchairs
- Home oxygen and supplies
- Orthotics and artificial limbs
There are certain types of equipment not covered by Medicare such as massage devices and telephone alert systems. Usually these types of equipment are deemed items of comfort or convenience instead of being necessary for medical use.
For seniors receiving home healthcare services, and who are relying on Medicare to cover most of these costs, it's vitally important to be aware of what they cover and what they don't cover. There are also certain requirements you must meet before these services are covered. If you have any questions about what is covered and how it gets covered, you can contact (or have someone you trust) contact your Medicare representative. To learn more, contact a company like Ameristaff Nursing Services.