What does Medicare cover related to home care?

Hello. I don't know if you understand CMS jargon, but if you go to WWW.CMS.GOV, then under the section "Top 10 links", click on manuals ( it should be selection 1). A new page will load, then you will look on the left hand side and you will see the title of "Internet-Only Manuals (IOMs)", and click on it. scroll down a bit and you will see a list of manuals. you will then see publication numbers. you will select publication number 100-02 Medicare Benefit Policy Manual . click on it. you will then see chapters that are related to topics. Home Health is chapter 7, that would be your best bet.. http://www.cms.gov/Manuals/IOM/itemdetail.asp?filterType=none&filterByDID=-99&sortByDID=1&sortOrder=ascending&itemID=CMS012673&intNumPerPage=10 .. that is the link to that section. Also, there should be a yearly book that is mailed called medicare and you. here is the link to the 2010 edition. you will find more information about coverages for home. http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf ...I hope this helps.

Not much, sorry to say - if your doc prescribes things like out patient physical therapy, wound care after surgery or oxygen then medicare might cover it. Medicare will pay for things designed to 1. rehab someone and 2. ensure their basic needs for survival are met. For example: they paid for Dad's oxygen concentrator when his emphysema got bad but would not pay for a bath aide until his doc prescribed hospice care during the last 8 weeks of his life. He was on oxygen for 2 years. For an uncle, medicare paid for physical therapy AT the PT office, so we had to drive him there, help him in and take him home. They also paid for a visiting nurse to come check his dressings and incision after surgery but once he began to heal, more visits were on his dime. Medicare also paid for my mom's wheelchair rental in assisted living but would not pay for it in her home. Once she transferred to a nursing home, medicare refused to pay for the wheelchair; they feel the nursing home should provide it - which means she's in one that's not as good a fit for her small frame. It's a complicated MESS!!

To best understand what's possible you need to go to medicare.gov and use the medicare plan finder. Good luck to you!