9,600 Caregivers Received New Medicare Training in First 18 Months

Medicare paid claims for caregiver training services that benefited approximately 9,600 recipients during the first year and a half of the program's operation, according to an AARP study. The benefit launched in 2024 to address a gap in support for the roughly 63 million family caregivers in the United States who manage the physical and medical needs of loved ones at home.

The new Medicare reimbursement codes allow providers to bill for hands-on instruction in tasks such as wound care, safe patient movement, and infection prevention. Prior to this benefit, many family members were left to learn these skills through trial and error. Alice Thomas, a caregiver in California, described the difficulty of managing her father's dementia and mobility issues. She found bruising on his body during a bath but did not know how to treat it safely. Thomas also struggled to lift her father after falls, leading her to call 911 at 3 a.m. when she could not pick him up alone.

Experts say the low utilization of the Medicare benefit stems from a lack of awareness among both families and healthcare providers. Rita Choula, senior director of caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute, noted that the healthcare system relies heavily on untrained family members to perform duties previously handled by medical professionals. AARP research indicates that 40% of caregivers provide high-intensity care, including managing medical equipment and administering injections, yet only about one in five receives formal training. Choula’s team found that many providers were unfamiliar with the specific reimbursement codes required to access the benefit.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services stated via email that it has taken steps to raise awareness by including information on coverage and costs in the 'Medicare & You' handbook and other outreach materials. The agency said it is monitoring implementation and exploring new ways to promote the services, though it declined to grant an interview. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, a network of Medicare counselors, did not respond to requests for comment regarding the program's reach.

State-level models offer a different approach to this problem. Minnesota maintains a certified, state-funded profession dedicated to caregiver coaching. Through 42 agencies and 105 certified consultants, the state serves roughly 17,300 caregivers annually. Maureen Schneider, chair of the Minnesota Board on Aging, described the model as a collaborative partnership where consultants provide ongoing support for months or years. This program is free to families and is funded by the federal Older Americans Act.

Wisconsin has attempted to build a similar structure on a county-by-county basis. In Kenosha County, caregiver support coordinators work in person with families to create care plans. Margaret Ricchio, a coordinator in that county, said that caregivers often arrive at a point of complete overwhelm. Wisconsin also utilizes a free platform called Trualta, which relaunched in 2025, to provide virtual support and connect families with local resource centers.

California previously operated a grant program called CalGrows, which allocated $89 million in federal funds to build the caregiver workforce. The program funded 850 trainings in 10 languages in 2023 before ending in October 2024. Eileen Norman, who runs the San Francisco IHSS Public Authority, said she has never heard of the federal Medicare caregiver-training benefit. She noted that caregivers in crisis often do not know where to look for help until they have already faced the most difficult challenges alone.