Health Department Regulations for Home Health Agencies
The purpose of a home health agency (HHA) is to provide health care services to people who are ill, disabled or may have vulnerability problems at home. This allows people to live as independently as possible in their own home. Home health agencies are licensed by the state Department of Health which sets the rules and guidelines for the agencies to follow. Home health agencies offer a variety of services to individuals who need assistance.
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Medicare
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The services of a home health care agency may be paid by Medicare if the HHA is Medicare certified. Medicare certification for home health agencies is granted by the Federal Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS will contract with a state's Department of Health to evaluate compliance with the required regulations. Evaluation consists of an initial certification survey, a state survey and various unannounced surveys.
OASIS
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Outcome Assessment Information Set (OASIS) is a federal program. When a home health agency is Medicare certified it is required to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all of its patients. Once an initial assessment has been completed others will need to be done periodically at set intervals. The assessment information is electronically sent to OASIS to measure patient outcomes in order to assess improvement in quality.
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License Requirements
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The license requirements for home health agencies can vary from state to state. Any individual who wants to run a home health agency is any state is required to complete an application. The application can contain information such as the counties in which services will be offered or a description of the service area and how services will be provided. An application fee is also required, ranging from $50 in the state of Pennsylvania to $100 in South Carolina, which also has additional $50 for each additional county.
Policies and Procedures
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Home health agencies are required by most states to have policies and procedures in place for the operation of the business. This includes having policies in writing for administrative control and the delegation of authority for the care of patients. States may also require a home health agency to provide in writing how they are going to follow the standards required by state regulations. Home health agencies will also need to determine when their policies and procedures need to be reviewed.
Acceptance of Patients
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Home health agencies can accept patients under certain regulations. These regulations may include that patients are under a doctor's care and that an individual's family is in agreement to allow home health care. States may also require that a patient's various needs can be adequately met by the home health agency. This includes an individual's medical, nursing and social needs.
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