Our audit reviews continue to reveal the same key issues: eligibility, certification, and documentation. Medicare home health coverage isn’t just about providing care—it’s about clearly demonstrating the medical necessity through accurate and timely records. Home Health Eligibility: All Criteria Must Be MetTo qualify for Medicare home health services, the patient must: Plan of Care (POC)…
Tag: homebound
Homebound Status
The inability to leave home—homebound status–for patients receiving home health care services has plagued agencies since its inception. It has been the source of many heated discussions in team meetings, has it not? Initial assessments of patients typically start out strong with reasons the patient is unable to leave his or her home without a…
International Classification of Functioning (ICF)
Clinical documentation is a constant struggle as clinicians deal with tight time schedules due to increased responsibilities. One effective way to justify and individualize patients’ information on homebound criteria and medical necessity, in particular, is through the use of ICF language. ICF stands for International Classification of Functioning. When examining the exact reason a patient…
