Respite care is temporary care for a person with a disability, chronic illness, or age-related needs, provided specifically to give their regular caregiver a break. It can last a few hours, a day, a weekend, or longer, and can take place at home, in a care facility, or through an adult day program.
The purpose is straightforward: caregiving is exhausting, and caregivers need rest to sustain their own health and continue providing care long-term. Respite care ensures the person being cared for receives proper attention while their primary caregiver takes time to recharge.
Most health insurance plans, including ACA Marketplace plans, do not cover respite care as a standard benefit. However, some programs and coverage types do: Medicaid waiver programs in many states include respite care as a benefit for people with disabilities or chronic conditions. Medicare hospice benefits include up to five consecutive days of inpatient respite care to relieve a hospice patient's primary caregiver. Veterans' benefits may cover respite care through the VA's Caregiver Support Program.
Private long-term care insurance sometimes covers respite care, depending on the policy. Some employers offer respite care benefits through employee assistance programs or dependent care flexible spending accounts.
If you're a caregiver and need a break, explore your state's Medicaid waiver programs, local Area Agency on Aging, or the National Respite Locator Service. These resources can connect you with respite options even if your insurance doesn't cover it directly.
Medicare covers respite care only under the hospice benefit: up to five consecutive days of inpatient respite care to give a hospice patient's caregiver a break. Regular Medicare does not cover general respite care for caregivers of non-hospice patients.
Contact your local Area Agency on Aging, your state's Medicaid office (for waiver programs), or the ARCH National Respite Locator Service. Many communities have subsidized or volunteer-based respite programs for caregivers.
.svg)