Lifestyle

6 Things Home Health Agencies Hope You Never Ask Before Care Starts

By Erica Coleman · October 18, 2026

A hospital discharge often comes with a referral for home health care. A nurse may check a surgical wound while a therapist works on getting you walking again. Medicare covers much of this. People who qualify pay nothing for covered home health services, and visits are unlimited.

The trouble is timing. Families often get an agency’s name in a rushed moment, with little room for questions. Medicare’s own booklet, Medicare & Home Health Care, lays out rights that are easy to miss. These six questions come straight from it.

Whether you have to use them. You don’t. Medicare says you may choose among the Medicare-certified agencies that serve your area, and your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or referring agency should honor your choice. Your provider should give you a list of agencies and must tell you if their organization has a financial interest in any of them. You can compare agencies on Medicare’s Care Compare site first. Medicare Advantage plans may limit you to agencies they contract with, so call your plan.

Their state survey report. State survey agencies inspect and certify home health agencies for Medicare. The booklet says you can ask your state survey agency for the survey report on any agency you’re considering.

Whether they can staff the hours your doctor ordered. Medicare’s checklist asks whether the staff can provide the type and hours of care your doctor ordered, whether they can start when you need them, and whether someone is available at night and on weekends for emergencies. Know the limits, too. Part-time or intermittent care usually means skilled nursing and aide services up to 8 hours a day combined, for a maximum of 28 hours a week. Medicare doesn’t pay for 24-hour care at home or meal delivery, and it doesn’t cover personal care like bathing and dressing when that is the only care you need.

What Medicare won’t pay for, in writing. Before care begins, the agency should tell you how much of your bill Medicare will pay and what you’ll owe, both out loud and on paper. If it plans to give you something Medicare probably won’t cover, it must hand you an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage first. You also have the right to have the agency bill Medicare so you get an official decision. Medical equipment like walkers and wheelchairs usually costs you 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible.

A look at your plan of care. It lists your services, who provides them, and how often. You have the right to be involved in decisions about it. Your provider and the home health team must review it at least once every 60 days. The agency also has to give you a Home Health Change of Care Notice before it cuts back or stops services in a way that changes the plan.

What happens when they want to stop. The agency should give you a Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage at least 2 days before it ends your services, and if it doesn’t, ask for one. That notice explains how to request a fast appeal from an independent reviewer, the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization, if you think care is ending too soon. Medicare says to expect an answer generally no later than 3 days after the date on the notice.

You can also switch agencies at any time with a new referral from your doctor. Medicare pays only one agency at a time, so tell both. Check your Medicare Summary Notice, too. The booklet lists home health visits you never got and bills for equipment you never received among the signs of fraud.

This article is for general information and is not medical, legal, or benefits advice. Confirm your coverage and rights with 1-800-MEDICARE, your Medicare Advantage plan, or your local SHIP counselor.