Many home health companies refer to outpatient therapy once Part A services are completed, but how many of your clients actually follow through?
With PDGM Patient improvement and satisfaction are essential to success. High-quality therapy services are instrumental to these scores. This includes the quality of therapy you provide, and also who you refer to. This means increased emphasis on your DC planning.
When you refer a client out the client has to call for an appointment, remember the appointment and get TO the appointment. Maybe they don’t drive, or really SHOULDN’T be driving. Maybe they have low family engagement/supervision, how are they going to complete the plan of care?
What if there was a way to increase follow through, engagement, improve scores of satisfaction and still keep these clients loyal to your “network?”
Mobile Medicare Part B Outpatient Therapy is the key to this dilemma.
Medicare allows community based outpatient therapy services to be rendered to seniors without EVER leaving their home if they have med B coverage. As a Home Health Agency you can pair with med B providers to offer a high quality continuum of care increasing engagement, loyalty, and commitment between you and your clients.
If you refer to a clinic that offers the same level of quality care you do, your clients are more likely to recall your agency as the ones who referred them. The potential for word of mouth growth and the brand commitment from clients who reuse your agency, or continue their home health aides through your agency is huge.
So how do you know when a client should transition to Med B once Med A services are rendered? You can ask a few questions.
Were they being treated for a fall? or a recent hospitalization?
Did their home safety assessment demonstrate fall risk categories like clutter? Runners? Loose stair treads, needs for permanent grab bars etc.
Was there a goal you wanted to accomplish but PDGM didn’t give you enough visits?
Is the client/provider worried about being able/willing to follow through with your education at discharge?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, it may be time to transition them to outpatient services if they have traditional Part B coverage.
Chances are many clients will need a longer term plan of care that a part B provider can assist with. Environmental modifications, activity analysis, or shaping new habits are hard to accomplish in 30 day stents under med A. With no therapy caps, longer Plan’ of care, and interventions driven by evidence, it’s helpful to have a network of mobile therapists to assist you in transitioning clients.