Medicare is a platform that is dedicated to providing quality healthcare facilities and impressive health care coverage to people over the age of 65 years at lower costs than usual. This is made possible by availing to the members, services of a network of Medicare participant doctors and hospitals who offer to provide low-cost healthcare services. For this purpose, Medicare provides various different plans which the members can enroll into depending upon their needs.

One of those plans is that which promotes Home Health Care. Home health care refers to, as the name suggests, care given to a patient with an illness or injury within the comfort of his own home. The need to go to the hospital is removed, and instead, the patient receives hospital-like care and nursing facilities at his home. A home health care coverage plan is beneficial for various reasons:

• The patient gets treatment with the comfort of his home.
• There is no need to go to the hospital.
• It is less expensive.
• It may allow the patient to maintain his level of activity.
• Much more convenient for the patient.
• Services provided are just as effective as in a hospital.

While this seems a good plan which everyone would opt for, a Medicare member needs to fulfill the eligibility criteria to avail services and health care insurance benefits under this plan and if Medicare finds if necessary that these services be provided to the person in question. The eligibility criteria include the following requirements:

• Must be a member of Medicare Original Plan,i.e., Part A plan/Part B plan.
• The patient must be certified by a doctor to be homebound
• Must be under the care of a doctor and must be receiving regular services and treatment from the doctor.
• The patient must need a doctor and must establish the need for skilled nursing services and/or physical therapy, occupational therapy and the like.
• The Home Health Agency chosen by the patient must be a Medicare-approved one. Since Medicare is covering the costs, the agency must be approved by them

If a person successfully fulfills these criteria, he is eligible to receive Medicare home health care benefits.