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Does Massachusetts Pay for Home Health Care?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.
Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers
Massachusetts pays for home health care for eligible seniors through the state’s Medicaid program, known as MassHealth. The MassHealth Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver funds many different types of senior living arrangements, including home health care and facility-based senior care.
Massachusetts’ Home and Community-Based Services Waiver
Eligibility Requirements for MassHealth and the HCBS Waiver
MassHealth beneficiaries aged 60 and over may be eligible to receive home and facility care through FEW if they meet the waiver’s enrollment requirements. In addition to the age restriction for FEW and the income and asset limitations for MassHealth enrollment, seniors who wish to participate in the FEW program must meet the clinical requirements of disability or frailty, as defined by program intake requirements and verified by a doctor during the intake process. In order to receive care services at home, enrollees must be able to stay safely in their own home or in the home of a caregiver, as verified by a home visit by a caseworker during the application process. While FEW participants are required to enroll in MassHealth before they can apply for a waiver, some special income and asset guidelines apply just to the waiver program. These are a partial relaxation of the usual financial limits placed on younger adults applying for MassHealth.
Other HCBS Services
The FEW program funds other services that seniors getting home health care might find useful. In addition to respite care and other facility-based options, seniors participating in the HCBS program can also get help with non-emergency transportation, items for the home, such as furniture and personal items like clothing or cookware, and limited home modifications if they own their own residence. A program worker can help beneficiaries apply for these benefits, as can intake workers and case managers with a local Area Agency for Aging.