Is this Patient Acceptable for Home CARE??
There are 3 basic criteria which must be met for a patient to qualify for
home health care:
1)
Homebound (some private insurances and Medicaid in some states don't require this)
2)
Skilled Need, and
3) A
Physician orders and directs the care.
We will discuss each of these individually. When each of these criteria is met, a few
guidelines will dictate the types of care the patient is eligible for.
A Few Points To Remember...
 | Home Health Care is meant to be INTERMITTENT, to help bridge a gap between an acute phase of
illness or injury, and independence. It is NOT meant to make the patient
dependent on home care for long periods of time, and certainly not
forever. |
| The goal is always to improve the patient's outcomes and make the patient, along with their caregiver(s) when
needed, independent in the patient's care. (In RARE instances such as for foley
catheter or G-tube management, the patient may remain on home care for lengthy periods of
time.) |
| Making the patient dependent on home care can be considered an issue of fraud
and abuse. CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) continues to
investigate, and fine or close agencies for violations. |
Home Health Basics
