6 Ways to Cover the Cost of Home Health Care Service in Portland
Six common ways to pay for home care services are private pay or “out of pocket” (cash, check, credit, or trust), long-term care insurance, private health insurance, VA benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare.
Except for private pay, each of the six payment sources below has unique eligibility requirements and service limitations. In most cases, the right care solution for your loved one may require a combination of these payment sources.
1.) Private Pay or “out of pocket”
Paying with personal funds gives you and your loved one the most flexibility when seeking care services. You can work with your loved one’s doctors and a local home care provider like BrightStar Care to tailor a care plan specifically to your loved one’s needs, including meal prep, companionship, light housekeeping, bathing, grooming, feeding, infusions, wound care, and medical equipment set-up.
Private pay helps cover additional care services that can supplement the limited services and support covered by other sources like Medicaid or Medicare, as well as the “elimination period” before a long-term care policy begins to pay benefits.
2,) Long-term Care Insurance
Long term care benefits can pay for in-home assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, incontinence care, toileting, eating, assistance with transfers, meal prep, light housekeeping, transportation, medication reminders & more, all in the comfort of their own home.
BrightStar Care helps our clients understand and process their Long Term Care Insurance (LTCi) claim. We may bill your LTCi directly. In order to bill the insurance, clients complete a simple “Assignment of Benefit” or “Direction to Pay” form. When we bill insurance on your behalf, we save you the effort of sending in documentation of care provided and waiting 30+ days to be reimbursed by the insurance company.
3.) Private health insurance
Thanks to partnerships with national insurance companies, BrightStar Care offices are credentialed in-network with insurance companies across the country. Many BrightStar Care offices also are in-network with local insurance companies. Call to learn more.
4.) Benefits for military veterans and their spouses
The Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension provides qualified veterans and surviving spouses with a pension that can help pay for at-home assistance with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, light housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation and more.
A veteran or the surviving spouse of a vet (were married at the time of death) who has served at least 90 days or more on active duty, with one day beginning or ending during a period of war, in need of assistance at home due to their disabilities may be eligible for the VA’s non-service connected disability pension (up to $2020 per month in supplemental pension depending on their situation). Note: this is not a benefit for a person needing housekeeping or respite part time care.
5.) Medicaid
Medicaid can pay for doctor appointments, hospital expenses, medicine, therapy, some adaptive equipment, and additional services. The state writes a plan that tells what kind of services will be provided under their Medicaid Waiver program. Each state’s plan is different, so consult Medicaid.gov to learn more about your state’s requirements and coverage.
You may qualify for help from a Medicaid home and community-based service (HCBS) waiver program if you meet your state’s level-of-care or functional eligibility requirements for home and community-based services; and have income and assets below certain guidelines.
6.) Medicare
Medicare Home Health Agencies provide service based on a doctor’s prescription. Home Health services also are based on a specific conditions, and are usually only provided for a set period of time. Typically, Medicare can cover just a few personal care visits, but no companion care or supportive care services. Medicare agencies are limited in what they can do and for how long, so if you’re looking for additional support, call us. NOTE: BrightStar Care does not accept Medicare, but can partner with you and your Medicare Home Health Agency to provide additional care needed for any amount of time.
BrightStar Care of Portland can help you identify which of these options, or combination of options, is right for your family. Please contact us to learn even more about different solutions, so your loved one can receive the best care.
BrightStar Care of Portland provides a full continuum of in home care services, including special needs disability care, pediatric care, companionship, personal care, dementia care, transportation, medication assistance, skilled nursing and more, to improve clients’ health and quality of life.
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