Last reviewed October 2026 by the Family Lantern team against the sources listed below. Programs and rates change; confirm details with the program or provider.
Medicare is a federal program, so the rules are the same in New York as in other states. The short answer: Medicare covers part-time skilled home health care for people who meet its requirements, and it does not pay for personal care when that is the only help someone needs.
What Medicare covers
Medicare covers medically necessary part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and medical social services. Examples include wound care, injections, and monitoring a serious illness.
It also covers part-time home health aide help, like bathing or help walking, but only while the person is also getting skilled nursing or therapy. You pay nothing for covered home health services; medical equipment usually has a 20% share after the Part B deductible.
Who qualifies
The person must be “homebound”: leaving home isn’t recommended, or takes considerable effort and help from a device or another person. Short, infrequent trips, like medical appointments or religious services, are allowed.
A doctor or other health care provider must see the person in person, confirm the need, and order the care. A Medicare-certified home health agency must provide it. Someone who needs more than part-time skilled care does not qualify.
What Medicare does not cover
Medicare does not pay for 24-hour care at home, home meal delivery, or homemaker services like shopping and cleaning that are unrelated to the care plan. It does not pay for custodial or personal care, like help bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom, when that is the only care needed.
That is why many families pay privately for non-medical home care, or look into Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, or long-term care insurance.
If you have Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage plans must cover home health care, but they may use their own network of agencies and require approval first. Call the plan before services start and ask which agencies are in network.