Our nurses and therapists care for patients in their own homes across seven Southern California counties. If your parent is coming home from the hospital, call us and we'll explain how to get care started.
We accept Medicare and Medi-Cal, and work with these health plans and care networks.
- Medicare
- Medi-Cal
What we do
Every visit follows a plan of care the patient's doctor signs. These are the services that plan can include.
Nursing care
Nurses who treat patients at home and keep their doctor informed.
Therapy at home
Help to walk, dress, speak, and swallow safely again.
Support at home
Personal care and social work, alongside the patient's nursing or therapy.
Getting started
If you haven't arranged home health care before, here's what happens from the first call to the first visit.
Family, hospital, or doctor
Call us, or have the hospital or primary doctor call
Call (818) 717-7181 and tell us about the patient and where they live. If the patient is still in the hospital, the discharge planner can send the referral for you. If they're at home, their primary care doctor can.
Federal Home Health
We confirm the order and coverage
Home health care needs an order from the patient's doctor. We get the order and records from the doctor or hospital and check Medicare or insurance coverage.
No doctor's order yet?
Ask the patient's doctor or the hospital discharge planner to refer to Federal Home Health Agency. They can call (818) 717-7181 or fax (818) 717-7191. If that's hard to arrange, call us and we'll contact the doctor's office.
Federal Home Health
A nurse or therapist makes the first visit
They assess the patient at home, review medications and safety, and set up the plan of care with the doctor.
Patient and care team
Visits continue at home
Nurses, therapists, and aides visit as the plan calls for, and the doctor hears about any change. Your care team regularly reviews your needs and adjusts visits or plans discharge as appropriate.
Paying for care
Every health plan is different. We work with the patient's plan to get them all the care it covers. With Original Medicare, there are no out-of-pocket costs for covered home health services. Acceptance depends on the patient's specific plan, authorization requirements, location, and service availability.
Before care starts
- The patient is under the care of a doctor or other allowed healthcare provider, with a plan of care they review regularly.
- That provider orders home health care, such as skilled nursing or therapy.
- We check the patient's insurance, since each plan has its own rules, and we follow the doctor's orders.
Check our FAQ for answers to your questions, or see the insurance we work with. Not sure your patient qualifies? Call (818) 717-7181 and we'll go through it with you.
For hospitals and physicians
Call or fax the referral. We'll confirm coverage, contact the patient and family, and keep your office updated.
- Intake line
- (818) 717-7181
- Referral fax
- (818) 717-7191
- info@federalhha.com
Where we provide care
Our nurses and therapists travel to patients' homes across the region. The office is in Porter Ranch, in the San Fernando Valley.
- Los Angeles including the Antelope Valley
- Ventura
- Orange
- San Bernardino
- Riverside
- Kern
- San Diego
Questions
- Does Medicare pay for home health care?
- For patients who qualify, yes. Medicare Part A and Part B cover home health care. With Original Medicare, covered home health services cost the patient nothing. Medicare Advantage plans set their own costs and work with their own lists of agencies. Medical equipment such as a walker or hospital bed is billed separately: Medicare usually pays 80% of the approved amount, after the yearly Part B deductible. We check the patient's coverage before care starts, so you'll know where things stand.
- What does homebound mean?
- Medicare considers someone homebound when two things are true. First, they need help to leave home, such as a walker, a wheelchair, or another person, or their doctor has said going out isn't safe for them. Second, they usually can't leave home, because going out takes a lot of effort. Homebound patients can still leave for medical appointments, religious services, adult day care, and short, occasional outings like a trip to the barber.
- Do we need a doctor's order?
- Yes. Home health care has to be ordered by the patient's doctor or another approved provider, such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. In the hospital, the discharge planner can usually arrange it, and you can ask for us by name. If the patient is already home, call us and we can contact the doctor's office for you.
- Is this the same as a caregiver who stays all day?
- No. Home health care is part-time. Nurses, therapists, and aides come for scheduled visits and then leave, and Medicare doesn't cover round-the-clock care at home. If the patient needs someone with them most of the day, we can talk through what Medicare covers and what it doesn't.
- What should I have ready when I call?
- The patient's name, date of birth, and address, their Medicare or insurance card, and the name and phone number of their doctor. Discharge papers and a medication list help too, if you have them. Don't worry if you're missing something; we can start the paperwork without it.