Medical Insurance and Caregivers

Many people may not be aware, but health insurance typically covers respite care, as well as bereavement counseling for caregivers. For example a member who is in a Hospice program would actually have benefits for their primary caregiver and close family members.  Typically, we see six to forteen days of respite care and a few hours of bereavement counseling in health insurance plans. If you or a loved one is in a caregiving role and needs assistance, I highly recommend calling the person being cared for's health insurance company and inquiring about their caregiver help.  In addition to traditional benefits (bereavement and respite care), many insurance companies offer discount programs to assist in other elder care areas, such as adult day care, long-term care, and support groups for caregivers.  Click here to see an example of one such discount program.