Call (512) 430-4354

Paying for home care in Austin: Medicaid, VA benefits, insurance and private pay

What each option actually covers, who qualifies, and how families usually put it together.

Call (512) 430-4354 Or ask us to call you

Or fill in the form below and we'll call you.

  • Austin
  • Round Rock
  • Cedar Park
  • Georgetown
  • Lakeway
  • + 5 more areas

Private pay is the most common

Most non-medical home care is paid directly by the family, by the hour, against a written quote for the actual schedule. It's the simplest route and the one with no eligibility hoops; the options below are ways to offset it.

Texas Medicaid (STAR+PLUS)

For adults 65 and over and adults with disabilities who meet Texas HHSC's income and functional rules, the STAR+PLUS program covers personal assistance services at home. Services are arranged through the person's Medicaid health plan, which uses its own contracted providers.

Veterans and surviving spouses

The VA's Aid and Attendance benefit adds to a qualifying wartime veteran's or surviving spouse's pension when they need help with daily activities, and can be put toward home care. VA health care also offers Homemaker and Home Health Aide services through contracted agencies. A Veterans Service Officer can help with the application at no charge.

Long-term care insurance

Policies typically pay for help with activities of daily living once a doctor confirms the need and an elimination period has passed. Insurers want daily care notes and itemized invoices; ask any agency you're considering whether they provide them.

What Medicare does not cover

Medicare pays for short-term skilled home health ordered by a doctor for someone who is homebound. It does not pay for ongoing help with bathing, dressing, meals or companionship, which is exactly what home care provides.

Tax relief

When the person receiving care has been certified chronically ill and care follows a prescribed plan, qualified long-term care costs can count as medical expenses for taxpayers who itemize, above the usual threshold. Confirm the details with a tax professional.

We'll help you sort it out

Tell us the situation and we'll say plainly which of these apply, which ones we can work with, and what the remaining cost looks like, in writing. Call (512) 430-4354 or request a call back.

Questions people ask

Does Medicaid cover home care in Texas?
Yes, for those who qualify. Texas Medicaid's STAR+PLUS managed-care program serves adults 65 and older and adults with disabilities, and it covers long-term services and supports — including personal assistance services, described by Texas HHS as "help in your home with basic daily activities." Its Home and Community Based Services program helps people stay at home who would otherwise need a nursing home. Eligibility runs through Texas HHSC, with income and functional requirements, and services are arranged through your Medicaid health plan. If you're weighing every way to pay for care in Austin, start with a complimentary consultation — we'll point you in the right direction.
What home care does Medicare cover?
Less than most families expect. Medicare covers part-time, intermittent skilled home health — skilled nursing and therapy ordered by a doctor for someone who is homebound. It explicitly does not cover 24-hour care at home, home meal delivery, homemaker services unrelated to a care plan, or "custodial or personal care" (help bathing, dressing, using the bathroom) when that's the only care needed. That last category is exactly what non-medical home care provides, so families typically pay privately or use long-term care insurance. Ask us about paying for care in Austin — the consultation is complimentary.
When does Medicare cover home care?
Medicare covers home health care only in a specific situation: a doctor or other provider sees you face-to-face, confirms you need care and orders it; you need part-time or intermittent skilled services (nursing or therapy); and you're homebound — leaving home takes considerable effort or isn't recommended. Even then, coverage is limited to part-time hours. Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care — the ongoing non-medical help with daily living that most aging-in-place families actually need. For that, families plan privately. Talk through your options at a complimentary consultation.
Is home care tax deductible?
Sometimes. IRS Publication 502 explains when long-term care services count as a medical expense; a tax preparer can say if it applies. With a long-term care policy, we organize the claim paperwork and follow up with the carrier.
What is the difference between home care and home health?
They sound alike but are different services. Home health is medical: skilled nursing and therapy, ordered by a doctor, usually short-term after an illness, surgery or hospital stay — and often covered by Medicare for homebound people who need intermittent skilled care. Home care — what ABS Austin provides — is non-medical: ongoing help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, errands and companionship, scheduled by the hour and typically paid privately. Many families use both at once: a nurse visits twice a week while a caregiver covers daily living every day. Learn what non-medical home care includes.
Call (512) 430-4354