A health home is a group of health care and service providers to ensure that people using Medicaid will receive the help they need for chronic illnesses or behavioral health disorders. Health home members will have access to various resources and medical care facilities to ensure optimal health.
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You’ll have a Care Manager.
Every member of a health home will be assigned a care manager. The care manager is in charge of developing the care plan for the member and outlining all the available resources and services.
They can also make appointments and arrange transportation to any facility if needed. They may also accompany the person to their appointments if necessary. They will also help with social security or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Foothold’s care management can help care, managers coordinate appointment times and billing cycles in this easy-to-use software. They also provide a way for care managers to spend less time searching for information and more time to spend with their clients.
Who can have a healthy home?
There are specific criteria a person has to meet to be eligible for healthy homes. You have received Medicaid and have one of the following scenarios:
- Serious mental illness
- HIV/AIDS
- Two or more serious chronic medical conditions
- One chronic medical condition and are at risk for a second
Substance abuse disorders are also included as severe chronic medical conditions. Children with complex trauma or serious emotional disturbances are also eligible.
As a member of a health home, you will have access to the following:
- Care coordination
- Health promotion
- Comprehensive care management
- Comprehensive transition care and follow-up
- Patient and family support
- Referral to community and social support services
The health homes and care managers are zoned geographically, so you will be able to find one that lives near you. This allows them to find local health providers for you and attend your appointments when they need to.
What does home health help with?
This can vary by state, and some states have more services than others. There are three main areas of health providers you can access when Medicaid and home health cover you.
Designated providers
This usually includes the basics of the providers and access to the healthcare you might need for basic needs or women’s needs. The providers include physicians, clinical or group practice, community health centers or agencies, home health agencies, pediatricians, and OB/GYNs. This list is not exhaustive, but it does cover most providers.
Health professionals
This is more specific personnel if you have needs that designated providers do not cover. They include physicians, nutritionists, nurse care coordinators, behavioral health professionals, and social workers. They also include virtual appointments and seeing a doctor at a community mental health center.
Health team
This is even more personalized and has workers to meet a variety of different health needs. It includes medical specialists, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, dieticians, social workers, behavioral health providers, chiropractors, and licensed complementary and alternative practitioners.
There are also several ways you can see the providers and have access to medicine and counseling appointments.
- Telehealth- these services are available to you under the Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
- Face-to-face- you may always see a provider face-to-face if you wish, but it’s not required. Always ask if a virtual appointment is available and if it’s appropriate for your specific issue.
- Chronic Care Act- This ensures that special emphasis is put on care for people with physical or behavioral chronic conditions. Many providers can help you with this.
Featured Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash
