Re: Home Health Salaries-Help

January 2, 2007

I left home health because of reimbursement. I was paid per visit. I recommend

you get paid by the hour, and get paid for your travel time, and every minute

you do something for the agency (duh.. but I really underestimated this)

A couple of things to consider:

1. It is much more difficult to keep the visits efficient, because in a home

setting there are more likely to be interruptions, patients attempts @

hospitality, barking dogs, etc.

2. I often had incomplete patient data. one of the worst was a consult in which

the pt had a gtube- which he was using! that was no where on the referral info.

3. Some of the homes can be really smelly and smoky.

4. be sure you know where your mileage starts from! I had to drive 15 miles to

the office, and only then could start calculating mileage. If traffic was bad,

an 8 mile away visit could take 45 minutes to get to. Buy yourself a good road

map!!

5. As I was paid per visit (and only $45 each!)/consult only, I didn't go into

the office without knowing there was a consult. This meant that every morning I

needed to check in. This got to be a pain. Then, If I was not explicitly told

that there was an MD order and insurance ok, I needed to call the nurse back to

hear these words, only then could I call the patient to set up an appointment,

and sometimes it took more than 1 call. After the visit, I called the referring

nurse to let her know the visit was done, document the visit for the MD, write

the assessment and do my bill. I probably spent as much time working outside

the visit as @ the visit. I would negotiate for office time.

6. If there is computer charting, insist on it. That can provide you with

plenty of info (meds, dx).

Good luck!

a in MA

-------------- Original message ----------------------

> Good Morning,

> I am a new member and am starting a new chapter in my career,part of

> which involves doing some home health. I will have to negotiate pay

> in afew days and am desperate to see what is the going rate. Mentioned

> are two different hourly wages:1) in office chart reviews and 2)home

> health visits. I am in South Carolina, does anyone have any ideas?

> Thanks,

> Tina

>

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