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279983
Ignoring patient needs by limiting Medicare home health social work coverage: The case of alzheimer's disease
Ignoring patient needs by limiting Medicare home health social work coverage: The case of alzheimer's disease
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
: 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Medicare home health is now a nearly $20 billion annual business (MedPac, 2012). Social work is not a significant part of the Medicare home health business,with limited coverage regulations, resulting in less than one percent (1%) all national visits. However many Medicare patients have conditions which necessitate significant social work intervention. The paper presents results of interviews of 47 home care social workers on the impact of coverage limitations on unmet patient needs and social worker coping strategies, with a focus on persons with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Implications for Medicare program and patient costs and quality and policy change are discussed.
Learning Areas:
Provision of health care to the publicPublic health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Describe Medicare home health social work coverage.
Explain analysis of 47 home care social worker interviews on unmet patient needs and coping strategies.
Keywords: Social Work, Medicare
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over 25 years of home care experience and an MSW and MPH.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
Back to: 4148.0: Strengthening access to care for at-risk populations