Home health services as authorized by Medicare law, regulations, and policies[1] are too often unavailable in practice. For example, for patients who meet qualifying criteria, Medicare law authorizes up to 28 to 35 hours a week of home health aide personal hands-on care and nursing services combined, as well as therapies and medical social services.[2] “Personal hands-on care” as defined by law includes many services. While bathing is included, it also includes dressing, grooming, feeding, toileting, transferring and other key services that help an individual remain healthy and safe at home.[3] Unfortunately, patients can rarely access this level of Medicare-covered care. As reflected in a recent study by the Center for Medicare Advocacy, access problems are especially true for beneficiaries with chronic and longer-term conditions who need services to maintain or slow decline.[4]
From April 28, 2021-November 19, 2021, the Center for Medicare Advocacy (the Center/CMA) conducted a survey of 217 Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHA) in 20 states to learn what beneficiaries may experience when seeking home care.[5] The agencies were identified through the Care Compare search tool at www.medicare.gov. The Center inquired about home health services available from each agency for a hypothetical patient with an authorized practitioner’s order certifying one hour of physical therapy per week, one hour of skilled nursing per week, and 20 hours of home health aide services per week.
All agencies indicated that they would be able to provide one hour of physical therapy per week, and 99% said they could provide one hour of skilled nursing care per week. Responses about home health aide services, however, were very different. 15% of agencies did not provide a clear answer regarding available home health aide services. Those that did provide an answer demonstrated overwhelmingly that home health aide services are not available in an amount even approaching the benefit as defined by Medicare law. This trend was present in rural and urban areas across all 20 surveyed states.[6]
Further, in order to see if accurate information about the Medicare home health benefit is available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) – the federal Medicare agency – the Center made 10 calls to the official CMS Medicare help line, 1-800-MEDICARE. Center staff asked the same questions regarding services available for the same hypothetical patient as they asked home health agencies in the survey. Unfortunately, the information provided by 1-800-MEDICARE was inconsistent and often inaccurate.
- Download and read the full report at: https://medicareadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CMA-Survey-Medicare-Home-Health-Underservice.pdf
[1] Medicare Act Home Health provisions are available at 42 USC §1361(m); implementing federal regulations are at 42 CFR 409 et seq; CMS home health benefit policy is available at Medicare Benefit Policy Manual (cms.gov) .
[2] 42 U.S.C. §1395x(m)(1)-(4). Receipt of skilled therapy can also trigger coverage for home health aides.
[3] 42 CFR §409.45(b)(1)(i)-(v). See also, Medicare Benefits Policy Manual, Chapter 7, §§50.1 and 50.2.
[4] https://medicareadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Medicare-and-Family-Caregivers-June-2020.pdf
[5] From 4/28/21-7/26/21, calls were made to agencies in the following 19 states: AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MD, MA, MN, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, UT, WV, WY. To confirm that findings are persistent and widespread, on 11/19/21 additional calls were made to agencies in MI.
[6] Results are based on information communicated directly by agency representatives. The actual provision of services as stated by agencies has not been independently verified. While we originally planned to produce a directory of care available from surveyed home health agencies, the results of the survey demonstrated that available care is so limited, a directory does not seem useful.