Does Medicare Cover House Cleaning?
- Does Medicare cover house cleaning? Find out which home health care services are covered by Medicare and Medicare Advantage policies and who qualifies.
Certain health conditions can make homemaker activities, such as cleaning or laundry, difficult or impossible. If you're finding it a struggle to clean your home, a professional house cleaning can help. However, regularly using a paid service can be expensive, so you may be wondering if you can claim for house cleaning through your health insurance. Find out if Medicare provides any coverage for house cleaning below.
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Does Medicare Cover House Cleaning?
Medicare coverage specifically excludes homemaker services, such as house cleaning and shopping. This means that beneficiaries with Original Medicare coverage will need to cover the costs of house cleaning services out of pocket, even if they have a medical condition that makes cleaning their home themselves difficult.
Does Medicare Advantage Cover House Cleaning Services?
Medicare Advantage Plans are sold by Medicare-approved third parties. These policies tend to cost more in premiums than Original Medicare. Still, they often cover a wider range of services and usually cap the amount that beneficiaries pay for treatments and services out of pocket.
It's unlikely that a Medicare Advantage Plan will pay for regular, routine house cleaning, but it may cover certain cleaning services if there is a clear health need. For example, certain plans may cover seasonal deep cleaning of carpets for beneficiaries with respiratory problems. Medicare Advantage policies vary according to provider, so you should check with your insurer to determine if homemaker services are covered.
What Home Health Services Are Covered by Medicare?
Although Medicare doesn't cover house cleaning services, it may cover certain home health care services. This allows beneficiaries to receive treatment and support for their health conditions at home, which is generally more affordable and less disruptive than hospital-based or residential care. Home-based services that may be covered include:
- Physical therapy
- Part-time or intermittent nursing or home health aide care
- Occupational therapy
- Medical social services
Medicare does not cover full-time care or meal delivery services. It also doesn't cover personal care provided by home health aides if you don't require any other form of support.
Who Qualifies for Home Health Care Through Medicare?
If you struggle to clean your house because of a medical condition, you may benefit from other home health services. Medicare may cover the home health services listed above if your doctor verifies that you need them. To be eligible, the services must be performed by a Medicare-approved provider.
Medicare only considers funding home health care for homebound beneficiaries. This means that you find it difficult or impossible to leave your home without support due to a medical condition, or you've been advised to remain at home by your doctor. However, occasional, brief trips away from home won't necessarily invalidate your claim. For example, you could still leave your home occasionally to attend a local appointment or family event. Attending medical appointments, religious services or day care will not disqualify you.
Eligible beneficiaries will not be required to contribute toward the costs of home health care through Medicare.
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