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Home Care
Our community health care agencies offer a wide range of
home care services to meet your individual needs. Payment
may be covered under Medicare or Medicaid, depending on a
doctor’s recommendation and your age and income. If you
have other health insurance, contact your insurance agent
or examine your policy for possible home care coverage.
For information on how you can obtain home care services,
call your local Office for the Aging or County Health
Department. There are a variety of different home health
care providers, and the cost of these services can
vary.
Medicare
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for persons
65 and older and for some severely disabled persons under
age 65. Medicare is run by the Social Security
Administration and has different types of benefits:
Medicare Part A provides hospital insurance covering
inpatient care and a limited amount of certain
post-hospital care at home or in a skilled nursing
facility.
Medicare Part B offers supplemental medical insurance to
pay part of the physician’s costs, outpatient hospital
services and other medical items and services not covered
by Part A. Part B insurance is optional. If you are
getting Social Security when you turn 65, you are
automatically enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B.
If you are not receiving Social Security, then three
months before you turn 65, you need to apply for Medicare.
If you miss the initial enrollment period, you may apply
in January, February or March of any calendar year, but
premiums will be more expensive than if you applied
during the initial enrollment period. For those who
continue to work and are covered by their employer’s
health insurance, there is a special enrollment period
upon retirement.
Medicare Part D provides prescription drug coverage.
Coverage under Part D is optional; if you are eligible
for any other Medicare plan, you are automatically
eligible for Part D. There are additional monthly premiums
for Part D coverage. The annual enrollment period is
November 15 until December 31.
Medicaid
Medicaid pays the medical expenses of those 65 or older,
blind or disabled who are eligible for Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) or who have too little income or resources to
meet their medical needs. Medicaid, unlike Medicare, pays
for long-term health care for eligible individuals. It also
may pay the cost of Medicare Part B and other private health
insurance. Unlike Medicare, Medicaid is a federal/state
program of medical assistance administered by counties in
New York State. Contact your local Office for the Aging for
more information.
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Assemblyman