Medicare’s home health care benefit is limited. Medicare does not cover many home care services. Medicare home health care does not cover:

• 24-hour a day care at home
• Prescription drugs
  • To get Medicare drug coverage, you need to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan. You can choose a stand-alone Medicare private drug plan (PDP), or a Medicare Advantage plan with Part D coverage (MA-DP).

• Meals delivered to your home
• Homemaker or custodial care services (i.e. cooking, shopping, laundry)
  • Unless custodial care is part of the skilled nursing and/or skilled therapy services you receive from a home health aide or other personal care attendant.

The Medicare hospice benefit may pay for some of these items and services for people at the end of life.