How to Figure Out if a Home Care Episode Is Early or Late

Home health care, in which a medical practitioner visits a patient's home in order to facilitate self-care and other everyday tasks, is increasingly used for home-bound Medicare patients who require skilled care. Home health care practitioners may provide medical care and/or transportation, meals, companionship, social services and other services. Medicare covers these services in 60-day increments called episodes.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine the number of days and visits from home health care providers that have occurred or are scheduled. Each episode of care consists of visits by a home health aide or skilled medical practitioner during a 60-day period. The first episode of care is the first 60 days, the second episode is the next 60-day period, and so on.

• 2

  Count the number of total episodes. The first and second episodes of care are considered early; the third, fourth and subsequent episodes are called late. During each episode, patients will receive at least five home care visits.

• 3

  Track the number of home health care visits. Patients who receive less than five or more than 20 visits may have their care reimbursed differently. Medicare typically pays more for late episodes than early episodes.