What is Home Health?
Home health is a wide range of healthcare services that a patient can receive in the comfort of their home. These services are usually given following an injury, illness, or surgery. For those who are eligible, home health is a better alternative to being confined in a healthcare facility as these services are often less expensive, more convenient (the patient gets to stay in their home), and just as effective.
What services are included in Home Health?
Home health services include but are not limited to:
- Wound care for surgical wounds and pressure ulcers
- Patient and family education
- IV and nutrition therapy
- Injection administrations
- Health monitoring
Through Home Health, these therapies can be given at home:
- Skilled Nursing
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
What are the benefits of Home Health services?
Home Health patients can enjoy the following benefits:
- Promote independence
- Ensure comfort and safety at home
- Respite for family caregivers
- Minimize readmissions
- Saves money
- Receive customized care
- Fosters companionship
Medicare Coverage
Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and/or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) cover eligible home health services like these:
- Part-Time or “Intermittent” Skilled Nursing Care
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology services
- Medical social services
- Part-time or intermittent home health aide services (personal hands-on care)
- Injectible osteoporosis drugs for women
- Usually, a home health care agency coordinates the services your doctor orders for you.
Medicare doesn’t pay for:
- 24-hour-a-day care at home
- Meals delivered to your home
- Homemaker services (like shopping, cleaning, and laundry), when this is the only care you need
- Custodial or personal care (like bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom), when this is the only care you need
Who is eligible?
All people with Part A and/or Part B who meet all of these conditions are covered:
- You must be under the care of a doctor, and you must be getting services under a plan of care created and reviewed regularly by a doctor.
- You must need, and a doctor must certify that you need, one or more of these:
- Intermittent skilled nursing care (other than drawing blood)
- Physical therapy, speech-language pathology, or continued occupational therapy services. These services are covered only when the services are specific, safe, and effective treatment for your condition. The amount, frequency, and period of the services need to be reasonable, and they need to be complex, or only qualified therapists can do them safely and effectively. To be eligible, either:
- 1) your condition must be expected to improve in a reasonable and generally predictable period, or
- 2) you need a skilled therapist to safely and effectively make a maintenance program for your condition, or
- 3) you need a skilled therapist to safely and effectively do maintenance therapy for your condition. The home health agency caring for you is approved by Medicare (Medicare-certified).
- You must be homebound, and a doctor must certify that you are homebound.
You are not eligible for the home health benefit if you need more than part-time or “intermittent” skilled nursing care. You may leave home for medical treatment or short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, like attending religious services. You can still get home health care if you attend adult daycare.
To learn more about your Medicare coverage, please visit their website here.
What should I do if I don’t have health coverage benefits?
Don’t worry. To ensure our services are accessible and available to everyone, we also accept Private Pay clients. If you have questions about your coverage, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Ask your doctor to refer you to Sweet Love Home Care Agency. For inquiries, please call 708-825-9495 or send us a message, here.