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from the link:

You're not eligible for the home health benefit if you need more than part-time or "intermittent" skilled nursing care.

Now, the mouse over says that 'part time or intermittent' means less than 7 days each week or less than 8 hours each day over a period of 21 days or less - unless you have special circumstances. In other words, sure, as long as it is temporary.In addition, you have to be homebound, only leaving for short, infrequent things for medical care, religious services, and the like.

I'm not even sure most folks know that stuff exists judging by how many people take care of their elderly parents. Perhaps it is much like disability and they turn down a lot of people?

Here it isn't a short term situation. You get a nurse for up to 6 visits a day, even if you need all 6 visits every day for 10 years. In fact, you aren't eligible for a nursing home unless your needs exceed this. It isn't so much if you are homebound, but that you need the medical care (though you might be mostly homebound with that).



Perhaps it is much like disability and they turn down a lot of people?

Reimbursement for a stay in a nursing home would also be subject to a doctor deeming it necessary (and also whatever rules Medicare has about it), home care is just a lower level of care in that sense.

I wasn't really trying to compare the programs, I just saw the possibility in your comment that were not very aware of it in the US.


I probably compare out of habit. I'm American and am immigrant here in Norway - I note differences, and the stuff that is similar isn't so noteworthy. Neither system is perfect.

Reimbursement for the nursing homes... admittedly, most of what I know about payment for american nursing homes is probably rumor, "friend of a friend lost had to sell the house for the nursing home payment" sort of thing. Didn't pay much attention, then was taught the cost in class here in Norway.


Yeah, coverage is limited. There are a wide variety of long term care options that can easily run into thousands per month, so someone with a fixed income that won't cover that will end up selling assets until they qualify for Medicaid.




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