Lumaktaw sa pangunahing content

More Information about Home Health Care

Home health care for Chronic Condition

Once you meet Medicare’s home health eligibility requirements, Medicare will cover your care regardless of whether your condition is temporary or chronic. 

Medicare covers skilled nursing and therapy services as long as they:
  • Help you maintain your ability to function
  • Help you regain function or improve
  • Or, prevent or slow the worsening of your condition

Providers and agencies may worry that Medicare will not cover skilled home care if you are no longer showing signs of improvement. However, Medicare will not deny your home care because your condition is chronic or unchanging, or when additional care will not improve your ability to function, as long as the care is medically necessary to maintain your condition or to prevent or slow deterioration.
If you have chronic care needs, it may be hard to find a home health agency (HHA) willing to provide you with services. If you have Original Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE for a list of HHAs in your area. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, contact your plan for a list of in-
network HHAs.



HOW TO START HOME HEALTH CARE

The process for starting the Medicare home health benefit changes depending on whether you are currently in a hospital or if you are already at home. Remember, in both cases, you must meet the eligibility requirements and qualify for coverage under either Part A or Part B.

  • Hospitalized: A hospital social worker or discharge planner should arrange for a Medicare-certified home health agency (HHA) to visit you and assess your condition. If you qualify, you should receive home health care after being discharged.
  • At home: Speak to your doctor about your home health needs and ask for a list of Medicare-certified HHAs. You, your doctor, or a caregiver should be able to call an HHA directly and ask them to visit your home and assess your condition. You should also be able to find local HHAs through your hospital discharge planning office, 1-800-MEDICARE, or the Eldercare Locator.


In either situation, the HHA should evaluate your home health needs and create a plan of care. Your doctor must certify that you qualify for Medicare’s home health benefit, sign off on the plan of care, and recertify the plan every 60 days.
Mga etiketa:

Mga Komento

Mag-post ng isang Komento

Mga sikat na post sa blog na ito

Durable Medical Equipment and Medicare

Medicare   Part B  covers the D urable Medical Equipment (DME).   These are equipment that serves a medical purpose, able to withstand repeated use, and is appropriate for use in at home.  There are many important things to know about Medicare’s coverage for DME. Below are pieces of information that will help you know whether/how you are covered. Eligible equipment Medicare’s DME benefit does not cover all medical equipment.  Medicare only covers DME if your  provider  says it is  medically necessary for use in the home . You also must order your DME from suppliers who contract with  Original Medicare  or your  Medicare Advantage  Plan . However, Medicare Advantage Plans may have additional requirements you need to meet before your DME is covered. DME coverage Depending on what type of equipment you need, Medicare will require that you either rent or buy DME. There are also special rules when you need oxygen equipment...
Mag-post ng isang Komento
Magbasa nang higit pa

Everything you need to know: Medicare Dental Coverage

ADA, The American Dental Association said that individuals 60 and over face some rather unique dental concerns. Approximately one in four seniors have gone five years or more since their last dental visit and 16 percent in this age range consider their oral health as poor. Also, for instance, there are more than 500 medications that cause dry mouth, some of which were prescribed for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Parkinsons's and Alzheimer's disease. This is now the common cause of cavities in older adults. Unfortunately, Medicare doesn't always help with this issue. In fact, according to Medicare.gov , this federal health insurance program typically does not cover dental care, procedures, or supplies. They don't provide benefits toward regular cleanings or services designed to treat and/or correct problematic oral issues, such as fillings or tooth extractions and they don't generally offer benefits for dental devices, including dentures and dent...
Mag-post ng isang Komento
Magbasa nang higit pa

Medicare Advantage Star Ratings

The Medicare Advantage and Part D star ratings for 2020 shows that more plans have 4 stars or higher star ratings this 2020 as compared to 2019. Also, there are more plans being offered to start on October 15.  According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, there are about 1,200 more Medicare Advantage plans operating in 2020 than in 2018. Approximately 52 percent of contracts for Medicare Advantage plans offering Part D coverage earned 4 stars or higher, compared to about 45% in 2019. In the 401 contracts for 2020, 210 are at 4 stars or higher, compared to 172 in 2019 when there were only 376 contracts. Twenty contracts for MA and Part D earned 5 stars, 72 earned 4.5 stars and 118 earned 4 stars. This compares to 14 that earned 5 stars in 2019, 64 that earned 4.5 stars, and 94 that earned 4 stars last year. The comparison between 2020 and 2019 shows 55 contracts rated 3 stars for 2020 as opposed to 66 in 2019. The average star rating for 20...
Mag-post ng isang Komento
Magbasa nang higit pa