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If you are thinking about starting home health care services for you or a loved one, but you are not sure where to start, you can reach out to your doctor, and they can refer you to a home health care agency. You can also reach out to an agency of your choice, but you will need to be aware of which agencies are in-network with your health insurance. 

What Is Home Health Care?

Home health care services are services that are provided to you in the comfort of your own home. There are many different service options to choose from. Some home health care agencies may offer different services, so you will need to pick an agency that can provide you with the care you need. 

Some examples of home health care services can include:

• Cleaning
• Transportation
• Cooking
• Medication management
• Infusion
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Bathing assistance
• Toileting assistance

There are many more services available depending on the agency. If you are not sure exactly what services you will need, your doctor can help recommend things like nursing or therapy needs. A home health agency can also perform an evaluation and recommend services based on their findings. 

Does Insurance Cover Home Health Care Services?

Most insurance will cover some or all of the cost of home health care. However, some of the services will require orders from your doctor. For example, if you need physical therapy after an injury, your doctor will need to send documentation to the home health care agency as well as the insurance company. This will prove to the insurance company that physical therapy is medically necessary. 

When using insurance for home health care services, they will have control over which services you can receive and the amount you receive. The insurance company will send a prior authorization to your home health care agency that informs them of the maximum amount of services they will pay for. The agency will directly bill the insurance for the services. However, if for some reason you are provided over the maximum amount of services that insurance will pay, the agency may require you to pay the rest out of pocket. 

Private Pay for Home Health Care

Don't worry: if you do not have insurance, you can still receive quality home health care from an agency. This will give you control over which services you want and how often instead of the insurance company. However, the agency will bill you directly for all services provided. When you first begin services, they may also require a security deposit to cover any services you may fail to pay. 

To find out more, contact a provider such as Comfort Keepers Home Health Care.