FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Home-based primary care (HBPC), also known as the “modern-day house call,” provides medical care to frail, medically complex patients who are either homebound or challenged to leave the home. These are patients for whom visiting a doctor in their office is either difficult or impossible. With house calls, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other providers, offer ongoing care to these patients in their homes – often through to the end of their lives. These providers also often function as part of an interdisciplinary team to manage both medical and non-medical needs (e.g., social factors, environmental needs).

By providing medically complex patients the same services they would receive in a primary care office, HBPC is markedly different from other types of in-home care, such as home health care. HBPC visits can include:

• Routine medical care and management of chronic diseases
• Annual wellness visits
• Addressing urgent medical needs
• Vaccinations
• Management of cognitive and neurological disorders
• Advance care planning (e.g., goals of care conversations, end-of-life preferences)
• Wound care and other procedures
• Care coordination with community services and other healthcare providers, including specialists in psychiatry, podiatry, optometry, dentistry, and more
• Coordination of diagnostic testing (e.g., blood tests, EKGs, ultrasounds, x-rays)
• Medical visits at assisted living facilities, group homes, foster care homes, and similar settings
• Caregiver support and guidance on managing the patient’s complex medical and social needs

• For Medicare beneficiaries, services delivered by the HBPC provider are covered under the same Medicare benefits that apply when seeing a provider for an office visit, e.g., Medicare covers 80% while the remaining 20%is subject to deductibles and copays.
• Certain Managed Care or Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) health insurance plans may require a referral or for the HBPC provider to be selected as the primary care provider. As available, an HBPC practice in your area can answer specific questions regarding coverage.

• HBPC has been proven to improve health outcomes, enhance the quality of life for patients and caregivers, and reduce the total cost of care by preventing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
• HBPC can also help caregivers by eliminating the stress and time involved with transporting the patient for primary care visits while still receiving support and guidance on managing the patient’s complex medical and social needs.

Here are some examples of when HBPC might be in a patient’s best interests:

• The patient has difficulty leaving their home due to medical conditions such as dementia or physical mobility limitations
• The patient requires medical devices or special assistance/transportation accommodations to leave the home
• Leaving the home can adversely affect the patient’s physical and/or mental health
• Caregivers and/or other family members are not available or able to transport the patient
• Patients transitioning from one healthcare setting to another need assistance with “bridging a primary care gap?

A.

Yes, it is the patient’s choice and they can have more than one primary care provider. Patients who receive HBPC can also choose to continue seeing their regular doctor in an office.

No, HBPC provides a full range of medical care to elderly patients or those with disabilities or problems with mobility. The care provided at a home visit ranges from routine check-ups and preventive care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illnesses.

Yes, physicians can visit patients in their homes, as well as assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, retirement homes, and retirement communities.

Yes, telehealth is available. Telehealth is a secure and private HIPPA compliant way to consult with your healthcare provider virtually! It offers convenience, flexibility, and access to medical care from the comfort of your home. Telehealth is suited for a wide range of non-emergency medical issues, including routine follow ups, medication management, minor illnesses, and chronic disease management.

Our team will work with all area hospitals and hospitalist groups to ensure seamless, quality care to any of our patients who are admitted to the hospital. Our providers will be contacted by the hospital’s attending physician when necessary and, upon the patient’s discharge, we will provide prompt, post-hospital follow-up care.