Home Care Access for Medicare Beneficiaries
Author Information
Author(s): Shilvock Abigail, Leung Peggy, Sterling Madeline
Primary Institution: Cornell University Medical College
Hypothesis
How do Medicare beneficiaries experience access to home health care services?
Conclusion
Many Medicare beneficiaries face significant barriers and variability in accessing timely home health care services.
Supporting Evidence
- 72% of CHHAs reported availability to provide skilled home health nursing services.
- 66% reported availability to provide unskilled services.
- Only 5% offered private pay skilled services.
- Nearly 80% of CHHAs could obtain insurance approval.
- Over 75% could perform an in-home nursing evaluation within a week.
Takeaway
This study looked at how easy or hard it is for older people to get help at home when they need it, and found that many have trouble getting the care they need.
Methodology
A cross-sectional Secret Shopper study was conducted where a trained investigator contacted CHHAs using a standardized script.
Limitations
The study was limited to CHHAs in New York State and may not represent experiences in other regions.
Participant Demographics
Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers seeking home care.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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