The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have a face-to-face requirement which calls for a physician encounter to certify patients for home care. Effective April 1, 2011, all Medicare patients receiving homecare services must be seen by a physician 90 days prior to or 30 days after their admission to home healthcare services. Physicians must document face-to-face encounters with patients and certify that the patient has a defined need for homecare services.
A Face-to-Face Encounter and HomeCare Certification Form must be provided to the homecare agency prior to admission. In some cases, the homecare agency may refuse to accept patient referrals without receiving the documentation in advance. If documentation is not received within 30 days of the start of care, the homecare agency will be forced to discharge the patient.
For additional Face-to-Face requirement information, please use the resources below:
Additional Information on the Face-to-Face Requirement
To review a presentation that offers more detail and instructions for meeting this regulatory requirement, review the Guide to Home Health Certification. For more information about the face-to-face encounter requirement and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the CMS website.