Frequently referred to simply as “home health,” it is skilled medical care delivered directly to a patient’s home. This type of care is provided by licensed medical professionals including nurses, therapists, and aides for the purpose of treating and managing illness, recovery from injury or surgery, or medical conditions. Scheduled visits are provided by medical professionals who provide some sort of help or care. Medical home health care could be nursing services, wound care, monitoring of one’s health such as blood pressure, and physical therapy. If not ordered as part of a short-term rehabilitation plan by the primary physician, then typically paid for out of pocket.
Bridges Home Health Services include:
- Skilled Nursing Care
- Wound care
- Medication management
- Monitoring of vital signs for medication adjustments
- Administration of injections
- Education and Disease Management
- chronic conditions
- diabetes
- heart disease
- lung disease
- Rehabilitation Support
- post-operative
- post-hospitalization recovery
Eligibility
For Medicare and Medicaid to pay for home health, a patient must be home-bound, require a skilled need, and have a plan of care ordered and supervised by a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).
The patient must need intermittent care from skilled professionals due to a medical condition or limited mobility. Skilled needs are considered medical need that requires special training. This includes skilled nursing care, physical/occupational therapy, complex wound care, and education about a disease or new medication.
Commercial insurance may have different requirements and paying cash is also an option. All Medicare Advantage Plans must provide at least the same level of home healthcare coverage as Original Medicare, but they may impose different rules, restrictions, and costs. Depending on your plan, you may need to:
- Get care from a home health agency (HHA) that contracts with your plan
- Request prior authorization or a referral before receiving home health care
- Pay a copayment for your care (Original Medicare fully covers home health)