Home Health Care
Cost for home health care in California ranges from $19 to $77 per hour, depending on locale, client needs, and whether the provider is certified by Medicare. Still, it is often the least expensive form of care, with part-time help running from $300 to $900 per month and full-time care up to $8,000 per month. Because of increased competition in providing this type of care, costs have held fairly steady for the past decade.
Plus, many people must modify their homes — for example, widening hallways to accommodate a wheelchair or adding safety bars to bathrooms — which can also add substantial costs.
How home health care is paid for depends on what kind of care is required and when and how long it is given. For example, most home health care is administered as part of a larger short term plan of care in which a patient is also receiving some types of skilled medical services, such as nursing care or physical therapy — typically while recuperating at home after being discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility. This care is often covered at least partially by insurance or by a government program such as Medicare or Medi-Cal. But those who want or need home health services for longer periods, or require care that is beyond the constraints of their insurance plans or government programs, must usually pay out of pocket.
A number of personal financing options are now available to help individuals cover costs of care and accommodations, as well as local and government programs that can defray some of the expenses.
Life insurance, various types of annuities, and long term care insurance might also help you cover the costs of care.
Medicare pays the costs of home health care for more than a third of the people who receive it — but there are limits on the care that is covered.
Find out who qualifies for Medi-Cal coverage, what it pays for, and how to apply for coverage.
Some other options to cautiously consider are reverse mortgages and other family assets.
Learn about potential help from veterans benefits, TRICARE, county indigent care programs, Indian Health Services, and workers’ compensation.