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I have been told several times by home health that they cannot provide bathing assistance if there is in home help that could do it. They say that Medicare considers that "double-dipping." I have also been told that Medicare pays a lump sum for a the treatment protocol for a specific condition and that it is up to the home health agency to provide the treatment protocol that is needed using the Medicare funds. So if they don't provide an aide for bathing assistance that improves their profit margin. What is the truth?


Home health generally will provide one bath per week. That is not enough for most of us but if we hire someone to given another bath, we lose the one covered by Medicare? So seniors can't have more than one bath a week unless they are financially or physically able to provide it themselves. Is this right?

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If you private pay for additional baths why would the home health not provide the ones they are being paid for?

I would call Medicare and ask them what is to be expected and if you find that the current home health has not been providing the services Medicare believes they have been, file a Medicare fraud complaint and get a referral for other home health companies.

How can it be double dipping if someone in the home, I assume you mean a daughter or spouse and not an aide paid by Medicare is available to help. I personally have experienced complete fraud in this industry, no one is responsible, always passing the buck, etc. To the complete detriment of our seniors.

Good luck.
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Area Agency on Aging referred my aunt for county services that were private pay sliding scale. Services were provided by home health agency selected by Area Agency on Aging. Three baths per week in her apartment. Her fee was very low because she had high health costs that were subtracted from her monthly income. She also got her apartment cleaned every week, twice weekly bed linen changes and assistance with four loads of laundry. She paid $110.00 per month for her services. My Mom had similar services but had to pay full price - about $400 monthly. The service and workers very nice, no theft and very reliable.
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That’s baloney. We had a bath aide for my husband. No one ever questioned it and it was covered by his insurance. I don’t remember how often they’d come out, but it was more than once a week. I finally declined it because I had to get everything ready for the bath aide and I figured I may as well go ahead and bathe him. You can claim you have a bad back and what are they going to do? Pay to have you examined to see if you’re lying or not?
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Double dipping comes when two facilities are billing Medicare for the same thing. Its not double dipping if a family member is doing some of the bathing or you are hiring a private agency that you are paying privately for. This is how I understand it. Maybe wrong. My Mom had home PT, OT and I am sure the aide was there at least two times but I think it was 3x. I was physically able to wash Mom but I rather not.

You may want to call another homecare agency and see what they say.
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