Selecting an Agency

If the doctor decides the client needs home health care, he/she has the freedom to choose among a list of participating Medicare-certified home health agencies that serve the geographic area to give the care and services needed. The clients choice should be honored by the doctor, hospital discharge planner, or other referring agency. Although a client has a say in which agency they use, the choices may be limited by agency availability, or by your insurance coverage. (Managed care plans may require that one receive home health services from agencies they contract with.) The discharge plan should also identify any of the home health agencies in which the hospital has a financial interest. When selecting from several home health agencies, there are several factors to consider.

A client can use the quality measures found in Home Health Compare to review what measures matter most to them and compare those measures for all the agencies. This is only one factor to consider when making a choice. Other factors are asking your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or social worker. A client can ask friends about their home health care experiences. They can use a senior community referral service or other community services. There are differences in how home health agencies operate and one may meet your needs better than another.
*This information obtained from Medicare