Home Health Billing
Dear Editor: With SEARHC’s dissolution of the Medicare certified Home Health Care program and the downsizing of departmental staff and services, I am concerned about BILLING. Medicare will not cover home health care services delivered by a program that does not maintain Medicare certification. See handbook ‘‘Medicare & You 2023’’ (CMS publication, page 44).
I am also aware that other insurance providers follow Medicare policies. Last week I called my Aetna health insurance representative regarding this concern. I was told that, as with Medicare, Aetna will not cover home health care services that are not Medicare certified. I believe that this is also the case for Tricare (military health insurance).
I encourage you to become informed about your health insurance coverage for home health care (before you may need it). We need to know what impact SEARHC’s decisions will have on our community and on each of us individually.
Additional concerns beyond that of Medicare/insurance reimbursement:
1. What can community members anticipate for actual home care services from SEARHC, now and in the future?
2. What provisions will be in place for aging in place, end-of-life and hospice care?
3. What health care guidelines and standards will SEARHC follow?
Elizabeth (Bitsy) Mosher
RN/FNP, retired
Sitka resident, 46 years
