Medicare at Home Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a brand new Medicare benefit covering personal care at home, something Medicare has never fully covered before. It would help with things like bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting for people who need daily assistance.
• Eligible beneficiaries could get up to 20 hours per week of in-home help, including meal preparation, medication reminders, and light housekeeping tied to health and safety.
• To qualify, a doctor must certify that the person needs help with at least two daily living activities, or one daily and one instrumental daily living activity.
• The benefit would be paid for by adjusting Medicare Part B premiums, and the government would set a minimum wage floor for home care workers providing the service.
• The benefit would not start right away. It would only apply to care furnished more than two years after the bill becomes law, giving time for regulations and premium adjustments to be worked out.