---
title: "What Is Private pay? Home Care Glossary | HomeCare.com"
description: "Private pay means a family pays for care directly from its own money. Sources include income, savings, retirement accounts, long-term care insurance..."
url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/private-pay/
publisher: HomeCare.com
phone: 800-974-3458
start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com
---

Paying for care

# Private pay

Private pay means a family pays for care directly from its own money. Sources include income, savings, retirement accounts, long-term care insurance benefits, and other private funds. No government program pays the provider. Most ongoing non-medical home care is paid this way.

## Why it matters for your family

The Administration for Community Living says most people use a mix of private options, because public programs help only some people. Medicare does not pay for ongoing custodial care. Families who pay privately can usually choose a provider and the schedule. They also carry the full cost. A common mistake is to plan for a few months and then run short. Ask any provider for a written rate and how billing works. Look at all sources, such as insurance, veterans benefits, and tax breaks. A tax professional or elder law attorney can help.

Source: [acl.gov](https://acl.gov/ltc/costs-and-who-pays)

[Read more: Cost of home care by state and city](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/cost-of-home-care/)

## Related terms

-   [**Cost of home care**The cost of home care is the amount a family pays for in-home help.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/cost-of-home-care/)
-   [**Long-term care insurance**Long-term care insurance is a private policy that pays for help with daily living when a person can no longer manage alone.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/long-term-care-insurance/)
-   [**Medicare coverage of custodial care**Custodial care is non-skilled personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/medicare-coverage-of-custodial-care/)
-   [**Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit**The Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit is an extra monthly amount added to VA pension.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/veterans-aid-and-attendance-benefit/)
-   [**Medical expense tax deduction**The medical expense tax deduction lets people who itemize deduct medical and dental costs above 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/medical-expense-tax-deduction/)
-   [**Reverse mortgage**A reverse mortgage is a loan that lets homeowners borrow against home equity without making monthly mortgage payments.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/reverse-mortgage/)

[All glossary terms](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/)

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