It's not always easy to pay for in-home care costs. Even with insurance or other medical coverage, it's possible your in-home care will come with limits. Public benefits alone can take care of much, or all, of the costs, but they come with many caveats.

The Public Option

Many federal programs out there can help with in-home care costs. The main ones are

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• VA Benefits

Combined properly, one or two of these programs can take care of the costs of in-home care. Separately, it's possible they will need help from other programs.

Medicare as an Example

Medicare alone does cover home health care. However, coverage can vary by the type of Medicare you have. It can also vary by the specific types of home care services you require. Even where it does cover home care, there are stipulations for eligibility.

• You must have a current doctor, and that doctor must have you on a care plan
• You must need one of the following:
  • Nursing care
  • Physical / Occupational therapy (or speech-language pathology)
• The home care provider must have Medicare certification
• You must have a condition that keeps you from easily leaving home

There are more stipulations besides these. While it may seem like a lot, many of these things coincide with each other. If you meet all the requirements, then it is possible you can receive in-home care at no additional cost.

It is not a given, since there are many variables that can still come with out-of-pocket costs. An in-home care agency will let you know how much Medicare will pay beforehand.

The Combination of Benefits with Good In-Home Care

Each government program comes with its own list of requirements as well. With Medicare as an example, you can see it can cover some or all of your in-home care needs. But, it's very situational.

The best method of dealing with in-home care comes with combining your benefits. Where one doesn't cover something, maybe the other will. This goes for all your assets.

If you have government benefits as well as private insurance, then always check to see which covers what. If you have an annuity or know of local resources that can help, then see how it can all work together.

It can take some figuring out, but it's well worth it. You will have a better understanding of how to handle all of your healthcare needs, not just your in-home care.