Now that you all know a little bit more about home health and how to check on the quality of the agency of your choice at http://www.medicare.gov/, it’s time to look at insurance and how your policy deals with home health. Each health insurance plan covers home health a little differently. If your insurance is straight Medicare - your visits from a nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, home health aide, and social worker are based on your needs at home and how long it will take you to become independent. These needs are determined by you and your doctor. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare HMO plan, your visits are dictated by the insurance company administering those plans and your needs are decided on by the insurance company’s policies. If you feel you need more visits than determined by the insurance company, you may need to be your own advocate. Most health insurance companies have case managers (usually an RN or LVN) that you can contact and work with to increase your home health services. I also advice going to your doctor and have her/him write a recommendation for you to give to your insurance company.

At Western Health HomeCare we accept all Medicare plans, most employer based health insurance plans, and workers compensation insurance companies. If you feel that you may qualify for home health please click here, fill out our form and we’ll contact you and your doctor to coordinate services.