Coverage guide

The short answer is no, and here is why.

This is the single most common misunderstanding families arrive with, and agencies benefit from leaving it vague. We would rather be blunt about it.

Short answer: noHome health differsWhat does payNo billing

Does Medicare pay for in-home caregivers?

Not for non-medical care. Medicare may cover skilled home health services — a nurse or therapist, ordered by a physician, for a limited period, usually after a hospital stay. It does not cover ongoing non-medical help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping or companionship, which is what a home care agency provides. Personal Touch Home Care in Las Cruces does not bill Medicare or Medicaid; the routes here are private pay and long-term care insurance.

Two different things with similar names

Medicare covers skilled care. That means a licensed clinician doing something clinical: a nurse dressing a wound, a physical therapist running a prescribed programme. It is ordered by a doctor and it is time-limited.

What most families actually need is the other thing entirely — someone to help their mother shower, cook her dinner, remind her about the tablets and be there at night. That is non-medical, it is ongoing rather than time-limited, and Medicare does not pay for it.

The confusion is understandable because both happen in the house and both are called 'home care' in conversation. But they are different products, delivered by different kinds of agency, funded differently.

So what does pay for it?

Realistically, three routes in New Mexico:

Private pay. You pay the agency directly for the hours. No approvals, no third party deciding what your loved one is allowed
Long-term care insurance. Designed for exactly this. Have the carrier name ready and ask — many policies do cover it
State programmes. New Mexico runs programmes that help pay for in-home support for people who qualify. The Aging and Disability Resource Center on 1-800-432-2080 is who can tell you where you stand
What Medicare may still cover: skilled home health after a hospital stay, ordered by a doctor — which can run alongside paid home care
What we do not do: bill Medicare or Medicaid. If Medicaid is how you need to pay, call the ADRC and we will point you there rather than take work we cannot serve

Common questions

So Medicare pays nothing at home?

It may pay for skilled home health — a nurse or therapist, physician-ordered, time-limited. It does not pay for ongoing help with daily living, which is what most families are looking for.

What about Medicare Advantage plans?

Some Advantage plans include limited supplemental benefits that traditional Medicare does not. Check with the plan directly, because it varies significantly by plan and year.

Does Medicaid cover it in New Mexico?

There are state programmes that help people who qualify. Call the ADRC on 1-800-432-2080. We do not bill Medicaid, so they are the right people, not us.

Can we have Medicare-covered home health and paid home care at the same time?

Yes, and it is a common and sensible combination. The nurse handles the clinical visits; a caregiver covers the daily living hours in between.

Personal Touch Home Care provides non-medical in-home care. Our caregivers assist with daily living, safety and companionship. They do not provide nursing, wound care, injections, physical therapy or any service requiring a licensed clinician. If that is what is needed, it is a home health agency, and we will tell you so.

Talk to someone about your situation.

Call and describe what is happening at home. We will tell you what we can do, what we cannot, and what it would take.

☎ (575) 639-3341 Request care →