WHAT IS HOME HEALTH?

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• “Home health” refers to medical services provided at the patient’s residence. The residence can be a private home or assisted living facility. The home health services typically include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social work and in-home aide. Home health may also include medical equipment and supplies.

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WHO PAYS FOR HOME HEALTH?

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• Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance plans have a home health benefit. A brief summary is listed under Paying for Home Health. Additionally, our expert financial staff can help you understand your coverage provisions and will contact your insurance company to determine your specific benefits.

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WHO CAN RECEIVE HOME HEALTH?

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• Individuals of all ages and with a variety of health care needs can receive home health services. As the name implies, home health is for people who require assistance from a health care professional at home. Medicare, Medicaid and insurance companies require medical orders from a physician before care can be initiated.

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• If you feel that you or a loved one may benefit from home health, we are only a phone call away. A member of our experienced staff can work with you and your physician to determine if home health is right for you.

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• If you prefer to be contacted via e-mail, please Contact Us and we will promptly reply to your request.

 

WHAT IS THE MEDICARE "HOMEBOUND" REQUIREMENT FOR HOME HEALTH?

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The final Home Health rule for 2012 modified the language as follows:

• The individual has a condition due to an illness or injury that restricts his or her ability to leave their place of residence except the aid of supportive devices such as crutches, canes, wheelchairs, and walkers; the use of special transportation; or the assistance of another person; OR if leaving home is medically contraindicated.

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• The individual does not have to be bedridden to be considered "confined to the home". However, the condition of the patient should be such that there exists a normal inability to leave home AND consequently, leaving home would require a considerable taxing effort.

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WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?

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• Palliative medicine is a medical subspecialty provided by doctors who offer palliative care for people who are seriously ill. Palliative care relieves suffering and improves quality of life for people of any age and at any stage in a serious illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic, or life-threatening.

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WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PALLIATIVE CARE AND HOSPICE CARE?

 

• Palliative care is whole-person care that relieves symptoms of a disease or disorder, whether or not it can be cured. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for people who likely have 6 months or less to live. In other words, hospice care is always palliative, but not all palliative care is hospice care.

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WHO PROVIDES PALLIATIVE CARE?

 

• Palliative care is provided by an interdisciplinary team that may include a doctor who specializes in palliative medicine, a nurse, pharmacist, social worker, dietitian, and volunteers.

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WHO PAYS FOR PALLIATIVE CARE?

 

• Many private insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) offer palliative care and hospice benefits. Medicare (mostly for people 65 and older) offers hospice benefits, and the extra Medicare plan (Part B) offers some palliative care benefits. Medicaid coverage of hospice and palliative care for people of limited incomes varies by state.

WHAT IS HOSPICE?

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• Hospice, or end-of-life care, emphasizes pain management and symptom control rather than curative treatment. It affirms life and regards dying as a normal process. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death. It provides personalized services and a caring community so that patients and families can attain the necessary preparation for a death that is satisfactory to them. At the center of hospice is the belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free and with dignity and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so.

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WHO CAN RECEIVE HOSPICE CARE?

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• Hospice care is appropriate if your doctor and the hospice medical director certify that you have a life-limiting illness, and if the disease runs its normal course, death may be expected in six months or less. At times, a disease does not run its normal course and patients may be on hospice services for periods longer than six months.

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• Hospice care provides comfort and support for patients with all types of illnesses including cancer, heart, lung, vascular, kidney and neuromuscular diseases, all types of dementia, and AIDS. If you feel that you or a loved one may benefit from hospice care, we are only a phone call away. A member of our experienced staff can work with you and your physician to determine if hospice care is right for you. If you prefer to be contacted via e-mail, please Contact Us and we will promptly reply to your request.

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WHO PAYS FOR HOSPICE?

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• Hospice is paid for through the Medicare Hospice Benefit and most private insurers. Medicaid benefits vary by state and private insurances offer a wide variety of coverage. Our expert financial staff can help you understand your coverage provisions and will contact Medicaid or your insurance company to determine your specific benefits.

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MEDICARE AND HOSPICE

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100% Coverage if These Four Requirements Are Met:

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1. The patient is eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

2. The patient’s doctor and a hospice medical director certify that the patient is terminally ill and has 6 months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course

3. The patient signs a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered benefits to treat the terminal illness

4. The patient receives care from a Medicare-approved hospice program