Medicare only covers costs for services that are medically necessary and that are provided by doctors or by skilled medical personnel under the supervision of a physician. Hospital stay coverage is self-explanatory, but home health care and hospice care are not. To qualify for home health care, a doctor must certify that you are homebound, that medical care at home is necessary, that a medical plan for that care has been prepared, and that a Medicare-approved home health agency will provide that care. Thus, while some home health services are provided, the needs of a homebound individual who requires 24-hour care are not. Only medically necessary needs are covered.
Hospice care is for the terminally ill.
To qualify for hospice services under Medicare, an individual must be determined by an attending physician and the medical director of a Medicare-approved hospice facility to be within six months of death. That brings us to nursing home care. Be aware that when it comes to nursing homes, there are three levels of care. There is skilled nursing care, which is provided by trained medical personnel under the supervision of a doctor around the clock. There is intermediate care, which is provided by skilled medical personnel under the supervision of a doctor at certain periods of the day.