In order to receive home health care services under Medicare, the patient must require:
- Skilled, intermittent nursing care, physical therapy, or speech therapy
- Have a physician’s order for home health care
- AND be homebound. Medicare considers a person to be homebound if leaving the home would require a considerable effort and if they have a condition due to an illness or injury which restricts the ability to leave home except with the aid of devices or assistance of another person. Homebound patients may leave their home if absences from the home are infrequent or for periods of relatively short duration.