Learn More About Home Health Agencies

To make the best decision regarding your choice of a home health agency, talk to your family, health care provider, or discharge planner. Call the home health agencies in your area and ask questions about their services. Remember, some services may not be covered by Medicare.

You can find a Medicare-approved home health agency by:

• looking at Home Health Compare at www.medicare.gov on the Web. Home Health Compare provides:
  • the name and office address of the agency;
  • the agency phone number;
  • the services offered by the agency (i.e. Nursing Care, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Medical/Social Services and Home Health Aide);
  • the agency's initial date of Medicare certification;
  • the type of ownership (For Profit, Government, Non-Profit);
  • the home health agency's performance in 12 quality measures that are important to recovery and health maintenance. It is important to look at these!
• asking your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or social worker for suggestions. Or, you may ask friends or family about their home health care experiences.
• using a senior community referral service, or other community agency that has information about health care.
• looking in your telephone directory in the Yellow Pages under "home care" or "home health care." (Look for home health care agencies that are Medicare-approved.)

Never hesitate to ask questions of home health agencies, discharge planners, doctors and family or friends who have used the services.

Remember --If you do not have computer access, Medicare's Helpline 1-800-633-4227 is there for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.