Handbook for Mortals : Getting the help you need : How do I pay for these services?

Confused? You are not alone. Knowing and understanding how each kind of these services are paid for is not simple. The table below is a brief guide of what is covered by traditional Medicare and Medicaid. As always, these services and how they are paid for vary depending on where you live and on recent changes in coverage. Ask your doctor, nurse, social worker, or case manager to guide you.

And that’s just the point: we will have another month like this - and then how many more? ...How many hundreds, how many thousands this month; how many "next months" will there be? How much of that is our "co-pay?" I know I'm not supposed to be thinking about money in a crisis like this, but where will we get the money?

Robert Stinson
from The Long Dying of Baby Andrew

Service Medicare Medicaid Private

Hospital care usually secondary often part of bill

Emergency ambulance usually secondary not usually much

Sub-acute care often covers most part part

Nursing home very little commonly yes common

Medications usually no commonly yes commonly yes

Home health nurses usually usually often part

Home health aides usually not commonly yes commonly yes

Service	Medicare	Medicaid	Private
Hospital care	usually	secondary	often part of bill
Emergency ambulance	usually	secondary	not usually much
Sub-acute care	often covers most	part	part
Nursing home	very little	commonly yes	common
Medications	usually no	commonly yes	commonly yes
Home health nurses	usually	usually	often part
Home health aides	usually not	commonly yes	commonly yes

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Keywords: Financial, finances, pay, payment system, economics, money

Copyright © 1999, 2006 by Joanne Lynn. This extract from the Handbook for Mortals by Joanne Lynn, M.D. and Joan Harrold, M.D. is used with permission. To learn more about improving care at the end of life visit the main web site for Americans for Better Care of the Dying.