Home Health Services

[windy city]

Went to see my Dr. in the private sector due to my chronic pain in my back and lower extremities due to my Fibrom. she requested that I have physical therapy on a daily basis through a Home Exercise Program to be done at my house through a home health services and monitor once a week. The [problem ius how am I going to be able to pay for these service.

[donews]

Have your private doctor write up orders for what type of therapy, how often needed, and for how long. Also have them write a note stating what you need and why.

Take these to your VA Primary Care Doctor, and he will be able to enter a consult into the computer for the VA to get you a PT person sent out to your home.

Now take in mind that the VA can be a bear to deal with sometimes when it comes to home health services. Sometimes you will need your doctor to recertify your need for the service every 8 weeks or so, sometimes they will go several months before they say anything.

Also remeber if they do cut off your services, just ask your PC to enter a new consult into the computer.

I have had Home Health from the VA and Medicare for several years on and off.

[windy city]

Have your private doctor write up orders for what type of therapy, how often needed, and for how long. Also have them write a note stating what you need and why.

Take these to your VA Primary Care Doctor, and he will be able to enter a consult into the computer for the VA to get you a PT person sent out to your home.

Now take in mind that the VA can be a bear to deal with sometimes when it comes to home health services. Sometimes you will need your doctor to recertify your need for the service every 8 weeks or so, sometimes they will go several months before they say anything.

Also remeber if they do cut off your services, just ask your PC to enter a new consult into the computer.

I have had Home Health from the VA and Medicare for several years on and off.

What happens if the VA refuses to do so, the reason I say this is because the va clinic that I visit it is hard to get a consultation with the physical therapy plus for what I have been told is that the clinic I go to refuses to give you a home excersice program because they do not want to be liable for anything that happens.

[donews]

I have never had to actually go talk to the people in the VA physical Therapy program.

Once the VA Primary Care Doctor enters the consult into the system, everything should be purely administrative. And then they contact the home health people directly and send then ot to your home. So there is no appointment needed for the consult, it just paper / email pushing to get the orders out.

Is this a home exercise program or is the physical therapy that your doctor is wanting you to have? There is a difference.

For instance, After my hip surgery they gave me physical therapy four times a week for one hour each day to help me obtain as much range of motion as possible. So it was a physical therapy that had an intended goal of assiting with my recovery.

If what your doctor is order is say to keep you mobile or to recover or to be able to walk a certain distance or bend over or to obtain a speific goal as that, they will authorize it for as long as it take to meet that goal. If they are just wanting you to get exercise of a specific area or joint to help alieviate pain, then I am not sure if they will approve it or not.

The best thing in my opinion is to try and see what they say. If they deny you, you do have recourse just like any other action the VA takes. You can try talking to the Patient Advocate, sometimes they actually do help. You can also appeal their denial to offer the service.

It definately will not hurt and will not take much effort to see if they will do it.

Do you have SSDI ?

If so how long have you been on it?

Edited April 3, 2008 by donews

[windy city]

I have never had to actually go talk to the people in the VA physical Therapy program.

Once the VA Primary Care Doctor enters the consult into the system, everything should be purely administrative. And then they contact the home health people directly and send then ot to your home. So there is no appointment needed for the consult, it just paper / email pushing to get the orders out.

Is this a home exercise program or is the physical therapy that your doctor is wanting you to have? There is a difference.

For instance, After my hip surgery they gave me physical therapy four times a week for one hour each day to help me obtain as much range of motion as possible. So it was a physical therapy that had an intended goal of assiting with my recovery.

If what your doctor is order is say to keep you mobile or to recover or to be able to walk a certain distance or bend over or to obtain a speific goal as that, they will authorize it for as long as it take to meet that goal. If they are just wanting you to get exercise of a specific area or joint to help alieviate pain, then I am not sure if they will approve it or not.

The best thing in my opinion is to try and see what they say. If they deny you, you do have recourse just like any other action the VA takes. You can try talking to the Patient Advocate, sometimes they actually do help. You can also appeal their denial to offer the service.

It definately will not hurt and will not take much effort to see if they will do it.

Do you have SSDI ?

If so how long have you been on it?

I do have medicare but I feel that I should not have to pay neither medicare for something that is sc and that is the responsibility of the VA. Thanks for the advice

[donews]

I do have medicare but I feel that I should not have to pay neither medicare for something that is sc and that is the responsibility of the VA. Thanks for the advice

My home health agency does not charge me a dime for anything when medicare is the payee.

Either they accept medicare and write off the rest or something, because I have never had to pay even a deductible.

The only reason I would suggest Medicare, is if the VA says no and also because Medicare is so much faster at getting someone here. With the va its the whole decision process that can clog a request for a week or two.

Either way you go, VA or Medicare, I hope you get the services you need.

Good luck!

Edited April 4, 2008 by donews