FAQ
A: Home health care is medical or supportive care provided in a patient’s home on an intermittent basis by licensed professionals such as nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and home health aides. It’s designed to help people recover from illness, injury, or surgery, or to manage chronic conditions.
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A: Generally, a person qualifies if they are homebound (leaving home requires considerable effort), have a skilled medical need on an intermittent basis, and under a physician’s care who will order for home health services for further oversight of home health services, usually your primary physician or nurse practitioner.
A: Common services include skilled nursing care, wound care, medication management, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, IV therapy, chronic disease management, diabetes management and pulmonary management. Also personal care assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming.
A: Home health care is medically focused and typically requires a physician’s order. Home care (also called personal care or custodial care) provides non-medical assistance like housekeeping, companionship, and personal hygiene support.
A: Yes, Medicare Part A and Part B cover home health services if you meet eligibility requirements: you must be homebound, have a skilled need, and use a Medicare-certified agency. Medicare covers 100% of approved costs with no copay for most services.
A: There is no fixed limit under Medicare as long as the patient continues to meet eligibility criteria and a physician certifies the ongoing need. Services are reassessed regularly.
A: You can ask your doctor or hospital discharge planner for a referral, search Medicare’s Care Compare tool at medicare.gov, or contact your state’s health department for licensed agency lists.
A: Most home health agencies offer intermittent visits rather than around-the-clock care. If continuous or overnight care is needed, that usually falls under private-pay home care or hospice services.
A: Home health focuses on recovery or managing a condition with the goal of improvement. Hospice care is for individuals with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less, focusing on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment.
A: Talk to your primary care physician or specialist, who can write a referral or order for home health services. From there, an agency will conduct an initial assessment and create a care plan tailored to your needs.
A: When deciding on a home health agency it is important to know what services they provide, and how well that agency and can meet the health care needs of that patient in the home. Medicare.gov keeps a log and has a website available for the public to compare home health agencies by location and/or by name to see how well that home health agency is in certain categories of management, treatments, and prevention compared to state and national averages, and to also compare home health agencies amongst each other. Assured Home Healthcare encourages you to try this to help make a wise decision when choosing a home health care agency. And to visit the home health compare website click here.