Medicare insurance covers you for a wide array of home care services that include health and social services. You might be recovering from chronic or terminal conditions at home. You may also suffer from disabilities that require you to have nursing, medical, and other therapeutic treatment such as physical therapy. You need these services in order to perform your essential activities of daily living, but you must first obtain a signed certification form for home care services from your physician. It's important for you or a relative to make plans for your Medicare home care services.

Home Health Certification Form

The home health certification form that your physician signs must clearly indicate that you are home-bound and need sporadic skilled care. It should confirm that a plan of care is ready to be activated. The plan of care and home health certification must be presented on a single form that is signed by your doctor and submitted to Medicare. The form should also note that your status will be regularly reviewed by your doctor once Medicare approves your services and those services are activated. 

Needs Required For Medicare Home Care Services Approval

It's important for you to receive your care from a Medicare-certified home health agency. So after you've met the program's requirements, be sure to hire a Medicare-approved home health agency if you have chronic care needs. You must indicate that you need help from a nursing aide or other health care personnel if you need that service. You should also let Medicare know if you need special equipment to get around such as a wheelchair or a cane and if you need skilled nursing care.

Do You Need Skilled Nursing Care?

Skilled nursing care on a sporadic basis must clearly be emphasized. If you require longer periods of skilled nursing, that request must be made known and documented by a medical finding. Longer periods of skilled care would include necessary ancillary rehabilitation services. Medicare's goal is to cover skilled nursing and other therapies that promote your functional abilities and prevent your condition from worsening. 

When A Hospital Arranges Your Homebound Services

If you are an inpatient at a hospital, plans for your homebound services will be arranged by the hospital's social worker. The social worker or a another discharge planner will make plans for a Medicare-approved home health agency professional to talk with you before you're discharged. Your condition will be assessed and arrangements made for all your Medicare home health care service needs.

For more information, contact local professionals like Veltkamp Agency Inc.