Which payer is the largest for home health services?

Medicare is the main payer for home health services. Medicare pays a predetermined rate of pay for a 30-day period of home health care. The combined payment covers all items and services, excluding durable medical equipment provided to the beneficiary for the 30-day period. When bringing new healthcare technologies to the market, it can be useful for the product manufacturer to know the likely use environments, since Medicare payment systems that apply to different healthcare settings have different Medicare legal and regulatory requirements, payment structures (such as combined payment or separate payment) and, in some cases, the availability of temporary payments for new technology. Medicare has other payment systems for other healthcare settings, but for simplicity, this page focuses on the payment systems and care environments that generate the majority of public inquiries related to the use of new technologies.