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Maine Home Care Guideby Silver Linings Agency

Paying for Home Care in Maine

Last updated October 2026

Most families pay for home care with their own money, a public program, or some of each. This page explains the main ways to pay in Maine, who each one is for and how to apply.

Does Medicare Pay for Home Care?

Usually not. Medicare pays for part-time skilled care at home, such as nursing or physical therapy, when a doctor orders it, the person is homebound, and the care comes from a Medicare-certified home health agency. It does not pay for help with bathing, dressing or housework when that is the only care someone needs, and it does not pay for care around the clock (Medicare.gov).

Help with daily activities and housework, when no skilled care is involved, is often called non-medical or custodial care. The sections below cover how it can be paid for in Maine.

How Does Paying Privately Work?

Paying privately means the family pays the agency directly, from income, savings, help from relatives or other money of their own. There is no set price in Maine. Each agency sets its own rates.

The total depends on how many hours of care the person needs each week and on each agency’s terms. Some agencies set a minimum number of hours per visit, charge more for nights, weekends or holidays, or ask for a deposit. Getting each agency’s rates and terms in writing makes them easier to compare. For what to ask, see the cost and payment questions in Questions to Ask a Home Care Agency.

Will Long-Term Care Insurance Pay?

If the person has a long-term care insurance policy, call the insurance company before care starts. Most policies pay only after a waiting period, called the elimination period, and only up to a daily limit. For care at home, that limit is often a percentage of what the policy pays for a nursing home. The care also has to follow a doctor’s written plan of care (Maine Bureau of Insurance consumer guide).

Ask the agency whether it has billed that insurance company before and what paperwork it can provide. The Maine Bureau of Insurance answers questions about policies at 207-624-8475 (contact page).

Can MaineCare Pay for Home Care?

Yes, for people who qualify. MaineCare is Maine’s Medicaid program. Qualifying takes two things: income and assets within MaineCare’s limits, and a need for care that the State confirms through an assessment (Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Home Care). Two parts of MaineCare pay for most home care.

Home and Community Benefits (Section 19)

This is for adults 18 and older who need the level of care a nursing home provides but want to stay at home. Along with personal care from an agency, it can cover care coordination, respite for family caregivers, home-delivered meals and an emergency response system. Members who can manage their own care may hire and direct their own attendant instead of using an agency. Enrollment depends on available funding, and the State keeps a first-come, first-served waiting list (MaineCare rule, Section 19).

Private Duty Nursing and Personal Care Services (Section 96)

This is for MaineCare members who need hands-on help with some daily activities, or certain nursing tasks, without needing a nursing home’s level of care. People of any age can qualify. Services come from a home care agency or a home health agency, and the copayment is capped at $5 a month (MaineCare rule, Section 96).

Adults with physical disabilities who want to hire and supervise their own attendant, without an agency, can ask about Consumer Directed Attendant Services (MaineCare rule, Section 12).

Not every agency accepts MaineCare, and those that do may not have openings for new clients. Ask each agency you call.

What If the Person Doesn’t Qualify for MaineCare?

The State of Maine pays for some home care for adults who need help at home but aren’t eligible for MaineCare long-term care. Both programs depend on available funding and can have waiting lists.

Home Based Supports and Services for Older and Disabled Adults (Section 63) is for adults 18 and older who need help with daily activities and can’t afford all of it on their own. The person pays a monthly share of the cost. Under the current rule, that share is 4 percent of the person’s and their spouse’s monthly income after certain deductions, plus 3 percent of household savings above $15,000, and never more than the cost of the care (State rule, Section 63).

Independent Support Services (Section 69), often called the homemaker program, pays for a few hours a month of help with housework, laundry, grocery shopping and meals. It’s for people who need help with at least three of those four tasks. The person pays 20 percent of the cost unless they qualify for a waiver (State rule, Section 69). For this program, contact Catholic Charities Maine at 207-781-8550 (Catholic Charities Maine).

How Do I Apply for MaineCare or a State Home Care Program?

For MaineCare home care and Section 63, start with a free assessment. Call Maine’s Assessing Services Agency at 1-833-525-5784. The State contracts this work to Maximus (a private company that runs programs for government agencies), so calls and visits about the assessment may come from Maximus. They’ll ask what help the person needs and about their finances, and a nurse may visit to complete the assessment. The results decide which program fits and how many hours of care are approved (Maine DHHS, Home Care; Assessing Services Agency).

MaineCare also needs to confirm the person’s finances. That’s done through the Long Term Care Application to Maine DHHS. Your Area Agency on Aging, listed below, can help you fill it out.

Can VA Benefits Pay for Home Care?

Veterans enrolled in health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may qualify for the VA’s Homemaker and Home Health Aide program, which sends an aide from an agency under contract with the VA to help with personal care and daily tasks. It depends on clinical need, and there may be a copay depending on service-connected disability status. The first step is talking with a VA social worker (VA).

Veterans and survivors who receive a VA pension may also qualify for Aid and Attendance, an added monthly payment for people who need help with daily activities. It is paid to the veteran or survivor, so it can help cover private home care (VA).

Where Can I Get Free Help?

Maine’s five Area Agencies on Aging explain these options and help with applications at no cost. Call the one for your county (Maine DHHS).

  • Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, 207-764-3396. Aroostook County.
  • Eastern Agency on Aging, 207-941-2865. Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Washington Counties.
  • Spectrum Generations, 207-622-9212. Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo Counties, plus Brunswick and Harpswell.
  • SeniorsPlus, 207-795-4010. Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford Counties.
  • Southern Maine Agency on Aging, 207-396-6500. York County and the rest of Cumberland County.

You can also dial 211 or visit 211 Maine.

Next Step

Once you know how you plan to pay, search for agencies that serve your town and ask each one which payment sources it accepts.

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