Medicare’s home health benefit does not cover all home care services. Services excluded from Medicare coverage include:
- 24-hour per day care at home
- Prescription drugs
- If you need prescription drug coverage, enroll in a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan that provides drug coverage.
- Meals delivered to your home
- Custodial care (homemaker services), including light housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation
- Home health aides may perform some custodial care when visiting to provide other health-related services. However, aides cannot visit with the sole purpose of performing custodial duties.
If you are terminally ill, Medicare may cover some of the above services and items if you elect the hospice benefit.