Provider home care is a great option if you're looking to improve the health of your loved one. This option allows you to pay Medicaid home care aides for travel time between your clients. This program can help you evaluate the cost-effectiveness of in-home care and can be a great way for your family to get closer.
Maryland should reinstate the provider home care program
Independent provider home care programs, which give people greater control over their finances as well as care, have been eliminated by the state. This decision will likely cause more harm than good for both Medicaid beneficiaries and home care aides working under the program. Although the state initially believed that the cancellation would cause a dramatic increase in costs, the Maryland Center on Economic Policy determined that this would not be the case.
Maryland Medicaid participants may have felt the negative effects of the removal of self-directed healthcare. The state was trying to shift the burden of compliance with federal law from private employers to its citizens. However, self-directed caregivers may be more successful than those who receive homecare services from agencies.
Licensed home care services agencies (LHCSAs)
LHCSAs (licensed home care services agents) provide personal-care services and nursing to clients from the comfort of their own homes. Many of these companies are contracted by Medicaid and Medicare to provide such services. They may also work with other agencies to provide services. These agencies are regulated and required to comply with certain state regulations by the New York State Department of Health.
The DOH requires applicants to submit a business plan outlining projected expenses over the next two-months before they can apply for licenses. The plan must include salaries, office space, utilities, supplies, and other operational expenses. In addition, an applicant must submit a most recent balance sheet.
Medicaid home health aides are reimbursed for any time that they travel between clients
The federal government and individual state governments both fund Medicaid. These two funding sources set the rules that govern the program. While the federal government plays a bigger role in setting program standards, states can have more flexibility about the services they cover. Especially important is the flexibility for home care services.
Many home care providers pay their employees through Medicaid programs. Most of these programs receive funding from both the state and federal government. Each state has its own rules about how much home care aides should be paid. While some states pay family caregivers to provide their services, others don't.
In-home care can be cost-effective
While video visits can be used in place of physical visits, they are not a cost-effective alternative. In order for video visits to be cost-effective, they must be able to significantly reduce the time a provider must spend with each patient. For a light-disabled patient, this means a reduction of approximately 80%. This reduction should be smaller for patients with average disabilities: it should be 6% or less.
Recent studies have shown that inpatient and outpatient home care are more affordable than traditional inpatient. One study looked at six Philadelphia hospitals. The results were compared for the cost and rehospitalization rates of patients who received hospital care and those who received home care. On average, patients who received homecare saved $6,500. The authors recommend that home care programs be expanded and made affordable by Medicaid, Medicare, or other payment programs.