Service Dogs & Medicare

Congress created Medicare in 1965 to provide health insurance coverage to those aged 65 and older and to younger people who have permanent disabilities. One-third of Medicare recipients have disabilities that restrict their daily independence. Service dogs help disabled people with routine tasks, but Medicare's coverage is limited.

Service Dogs

Service dogs have a long history, dating to World War I, when dogs were trained to guide blind war veterans. Today, service dogs are trained to assist in a variety of areas; these dogs include Alzheimer's helper dogs, diabetes response dogs, hearing dogs, Parkinson's disease helper dogs, psychiatric service dogs and skilled assistance dogs.

Medicare

Medicare Parts A and B are referred to as "traditional Medicare." Medicare Part A covers inpatient services, some short-term home health care and hospice care; Medicare Part B covers outpatient services, durable medical equipment and ambulance services.

Cost

Cost is a deciding factor when getting a service dog. The cost to train a service dog ranges from $10,000 to $12,000--a cost that Medicare does not cover. A Medicare recipient must pay out of pocket for the dog or rely on private and charitable foundations to help cover the cost.

References

• Web MD: What Does Medicare Cover?
• The Medical News: Service Dogs for People With Disabilities

Resources

• The Kaiser Family Foundation: Navigating Medicare and Medicaid, 2005