How to Choose a Home Health Care Provider That Provides Therapy?
Among the many benefits that Medicare offers, home health care is one of the most valuable to older adults and their families. Sometimes people need extra monitoring due to a change in their disease or condition if they’ve had surgery, or been in the hospital because of an illness or injury. As part of their home health care coverage, Medicare does cover therapy visits. This post provides an overview of what types of therapy medicare covers, eligibility requirements, and how long therapy visits will last.
What is Home Health Care?
Home health care is a service that most insurance carriers cover, including Medicare. It sends out medical professionals working under the supervision of a patient’s doctor to provide medical care to a patient in their home. The doctor orders specific services based on their patient’s condition and their needs. This can happen as a result of a regular office visit or as part of a discharge plan after a hospital stay. Services provided under home health care can include:
How Do Patients Receive Therapy Under Medicare?
Patients are eligible for physical therapy or occupational therapy as long as they meet the requirements to receive it under home health care. The requirements for home health care, in general, are that:
A patient must be under the care of a physician who certifies that they are homebound and have a plan of care for home care services that is regularly reviewed by their doctor. Patients are considered homebound if they can’t leave their home without the help of special transportation, a walker, cane, crutches, or without the help of another person. Not being able to leave the house due to illness and injury also qualifies as being homebound.
Patients are still considered homebound if they leave the house to go to appointments or treatments, attend religious services, or go to adult daycare.
What to Know About Medicare Requirements for Therapy
Medicare has very specific requirements for patients to receive therapy services at home. In the case of therapy, a patient must receive therapy treatment that is specific, safe, and effective for their condition. The therapy must be performed by a qualified therapist and the length of time patients receive home therapy must be deemed reasonable. This includes overall time spent in home care and how often therapy services are received during the time that the plan of treatment is good for. To be eligible for services, patients must meet one of the following criteria:
Are There Limits on the Number of Therapy Visits Covered?
Medicare does not put a specific cap on the number of visits a patient can have. However, the amount of money spent on combined therapy visits will be reviewed if it exceeds a certain threshold as set by Medicare. As long as the therapy visits are deemed medically necessary, and they meet the criteria for receiving therapy, Medicare will cover it.
Home health care is an invaluable benefit for patients and their families. Voyager Home Health is a Medicare-certified agency that provides the best home health care experience for patients in and around Denver, CO, and Colorado Springs, CO. Reach out to us today to find out how you can obtain our services.
Voyager Home Health Care is known for being the highest paying IHSS & CHCBS provider in Colorado. Voyager is also known for their supurb quality and the cutting edge support of the families they serve. Voyager pays $18 an hour for any Health Maintenance Activities (HMA) hours families are approved for ($20/hr for CHCBS). If you want to know more about this program please give us a call or Text (719-400-2222)
Highest Paying Provider ● Highest Quality ● All Phones Text-able ● Overtime allowed with hybrid hours ● Smart Documentation ● Home Healthcare Company with Class A License.