These two are constantly used interchangeably, including by people who should know better, and the confusion costs families real money. One is covered by Medicare. The other is not. They are not the same service and they are not delivered by the same kind of agency.
| In-home care (personal care) | Home health (skilled) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Help with bathing, dressing, toileting, meals, mobility, housekeeping, errands, company | Skilled nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, wound care, injections, medical social work |
| Doctor's order | Not required | Required, with a face-to-face assessment |
| Homebound requirement | None | Yes — both Medicare conditions must be met |
| Who provides it | An agency licensed by Nevada HCQC to provide personal care services in the home | A Medicare-certified home health agency |
| Who pays | Private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, Medicaid if eligible | Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance — you pay nothing for covered home health services |
| How much | As many hours as you buy | Part-time or intermittent — usually up to 28 hours a week combined |
| How long | Ongoing, often for years | Episodic, tied to a recovery period |
Why the confusion is so persistent
Three reasons. Consumers search “home health care near me” when they mean a caregiver. Agencies on both sides use overlapping marketing language. And after a hospital discharge a family often gets both at once — a nurse twice a week and a caregiver every morning — from two different companies, with nobody explaining which is which.
The specific way this goes wrong. A family is told at discharge that "Medicare covers home health." True. They hear "Medicare will cover the help Dad needs at home." Not true. Three weeks later the nurse visits end, the personal care was never arranged, and nobody has been helping him shower. This is the most common failure mode in the whole discharge process.
You can have both, and often should
They are not alternatives. Medicare home health handles the clinical recovery; personal care handles the other 160 hours of the week. Ask each agency for the other's schedule so you are not paying for two people to show up at ten on Tuesday.
More: exactly what Medicare covers, quoted from Medicare.gov · arranging care after a discharge.
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Common questions
What is the difference between home care and home health care?
Home care is non-medical personal care — bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, company — paid privately or through Medicaid, VA benefits or long-term care insurance. Home health is skilled, doctor-ordered care from a Medicare-certified agency for a homebound patient, and Medicare covers it.
Can I have both at the same time?
Yes, and after a hospital discharge many families do. Medicare home health covers the clinical recovery; personal care covers the rest of the week.
Sources for this page
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 — state data tables — CareScout (Genworth), 2025. More than 25,000 rates collected from long-term care providers nationwide between July and November 2025. Annual figures assume 44 hours a week for 52 weeks.
- Home health services — Medicare.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026.
Reviewed by the Vegas Senior Advisor care team. Last updated November 11, 2026. Spot something wrong? Call (725) 465-8617 and we will correct it within one business day.
