Physician Face-to-Face Requirements

The following are the required elements for the current regulations for the home health face-to-face documentation.

Please send your progress note, Discharge Summary or History and Physical for the encounter
  • Encounter must occur no more than 90 days prior to or not more than 30 days after the Home Health Start of Care
  • Must be performed by a physician with PECOS enrollment or an NPP who saw the patient. The document must be signed and dated by the physician.
  • Must show that patient was seen for the main reason that home health is needed.
Other items required:
  • What services are being ordered
  • What is the reason for the services
Home Bound criteria must be noted that gives:
  • What caused patient to be home bound
  • What assistance does the patient require? Does it include assistance of a person, device or both?What is the effort required for the patient to leave home? Needs explanation.
The document will need to have your signature and date
Hospital or other post-acute facility visit documents may be used to meet the encounter information
  • We will send those documents for you to retain in the patient’s medical record. CMS may request these records from you in the event of an audit or additional documentation request.

For any questions please contact our intake department; call 866-781-6774or email us.

References