FAQ
Q: What is Private Pay Home Care Rates & Hours?
A: Private pay home care rates & hours is defined as a (Out-Pocket) expenses for your home health care needs. Home health care services will be provided by our agency which is paid either out of pocket. There is no supplement from a government program.
Q: Do the attendants work holidays?
A: Yes, personal care attendants and respite care have year-round duties and responsibilities to all Consumers-Based Care Plans approved by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).
Q: Do you have anyone who can visit the family, free of charge, to explain the services before we start?
A: Yes. We will schedule a visit, at your convenience to introduce you to the company. During this meeting, we will explain all for service options. We can help you with applying for the Missouri Healthnet (Medicaid) Program if you are not currently enrolled or discuss our private payment plans with you.
Q: Do you have a minimum amount of hours that I must use daily?
A: Medicaid: No. We will deliver services according to the approved Care Plans outlined for hours to work per day by the State of Missouri.
Private-pay: Yes. We require that private pay fulfilled the contract hours agreed on for each shifts per day.
Q: Do you have a scheduled person on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies?
A: Yes. Our staff maintains an after-hours emergency line to aid the participants.
Q: Am I allowed to request a replacement aide?
A: Yes. We pride to taking a client’s eccentric approach. We will honor your request promptly to maintain routine care.
Q: Am I allowed to refer/request someone that I know to service me?
A: Yes. You are welcome to refer your own aide. All employment requirements and state regulations must be met.
CDS Participant Privacy Practices:
Q: Under what circumstances would my health information be used or disclosed?
A: Under the following circumstances your health information may be used or disclosed after you have provided written consent: to provide treatment; to obtain payment; to conduct health care operations; for appointment alternatives; for treatment alternatives.
Q: Can a participant have a family member or friend ride along?
A: This is a decision between the vendor, attendant, and consumer. The Department of Health and Senior Services does not have a regulation prohibiting this practice.
Q: Can Non-Emergency Medical Transportation providers transport the participant and the participants Consumer Direct Services attendant as a “rider” for attendance and assistance needed during medical appointments (mobility concerns or participants)?
Will the attendant need to pay for their transport seat? If not, who is responsible for the cost?
A: The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation broker would be able to take the participant and an additional rider. It would need to be conveyed that the participant would need the additional rider at the time the reservation is made. The participant would be the only one that would be asked to pay copay for the transportation and not the additional rider.
Q: If a wheelchair bound and unable to transfer to and from the assist in placing their wheelchair in the vehicle without assistance, and the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation is not assisting, can Essential Transportation be authorized?
A: No, the participant should submit a complaint through the MO HealthNet regarding this issue. Problems with a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation provided service is not justification to authorize the service through Consumer Direct Services.
Q: Can I choose my own attendant?
A: Yes, in the Consumer Directed Services (CDS) program you can choose your own attendant. We can also provide you with an attendee that will meet your eligible works hours and health care needs.
Q: Do we accept insurance?
A: Yes, we accept Missouri Medicaid. We also accept private pay.
Q: If two participants live in same household and both are authorized for transportation and prefer to conduct joint shopping for groceries, can the aide document the first 30 min. for one participant and second half hour for the second participant, in order to save the aide from having to make two trips to the store?
A: Yes, it is appropriate to document this way as long as the times do not overlap one another and the participant’s needs are being met.
Q: Is transporting for events such as: visiting another individual’s home for social visits, or visiting someone in the hospital or a church function allowable?
A: Social activities are not appropriate as they do not meet the definition of essential transportation. This does not mean that the attendant cannot take them to the destination and deliver appropriate and authorized personal care tasks while the participant is in that location. The transportation may not be reimbursable, but the personal care is.
Q: Is transporting to an appointment to have blood drawn for lab work (when Medicaid does not pay for the service and it is performed separately from a doctor visit) allowable?
A.: Trips for medical appointments or health-oriented appointments (lab draws, chiropractor, etc.) are always considered to be appropriate tasks for Essential Transportation as long as it is not a Non-emergency Medical Transportation covered trip.
Q: Can a participant have a family member or friend ride along?
A: This is a decision between the vendor, attendant, and consumer. The Department of Health and Senior Services does not have a regulation prohibiting this practice.
Q: If two participants live in same household and both are authorized for transportation and prefer to conduct joint shopping for groceries, can the aide document the first 30 min. for one participant and second half hour for the second participant, in order to save the aide from having to make two trips to the store?
A: Yes, it is appropriate to document this way as long as the times do not overlap one another and the participant’s needs are being met.
Q: Is transporting to physical therapy sessions allowable?
A: BPI suggests the participant contact the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) provider to assure this type of appointment does not qualify under Non-Emergency Medical Transportation. If the participant discovers the physical therapy does not qualify for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, then the attendant can transport the participant to and from the physical therapy appointment. However, while the participant is with the physical therapist, any time the attendant spends waiting for the participant to complete the therapy session cannot be reimbursed.
Q: Can Non-Emergency Medical Transportation providers transport the participant and the participants Consumer Directed Services attendant as a “rider” for attendance and assistance needed during medical appointments (mobility concerns of participant)?
Will the attendant need to pay for their transport spot? If not, who is responsible for the cost?
A: The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation broker would be able to take the participant and an additional rider. It would need to be conveyed that the participant would need the additional rider at the time the reservation is made. The participant would be the only one that would be asked to pay copay for the transportation and not the additional rider.
Q: Is taking a participant to church allowable to be authorized under essential transportation?
A: Transportation to and from church is not allowable under the authorization of essential transportation. Although we certainly understand the importance of this in life to many of our participants, and don’t want to be misunderstood as saying it is not essential in life, this task does not meet the definition of essential transportation for the Medicaid Consumer Directed Services program
Q: If the participant has a physician order for passive water aerobics/swimming and Passive Range of Motion (PROM) each week and needs a ride to and from the swimming classes, can it be authorized under essential transportation?
A: Passive Range of Motion is an allowable task under Consumer Directed Services and if the water aerobics/ swimming course is taught by a trained therapist, then it is allowable, however, if they are not trained in that type of therapy then the participant would need to find other means of transportation to and from the class. Also, the vendor would need to verify this would not be covered under Non-Emergency Medical Transportation.
Q: Are attendants allowed to run errands (grocery shopping, pharmacy, etc.) on behalf of the participant by means of public bus transportation?
A: There is nothing in statue or regulation which prohibits this or requires the use of the attendant’s personal vehicle. In some instances, a taxi has been used.
Q: Can an attendant complete all necessary shopping/ errands for the participant without the participant accompanying them?
A: Yes, Policy 3.25 Personal Care Assistance – State Plan (Consumer Directed Services Model), states that all essential shopping/ errands (whether or not the participant is with the CDS attendant) are covered services.
Q: Can time spent driving the participant to and from their place of employment be authorized for transportation?
A: Yes, Policy 3.25 Personal Care Assistance – State Plan (Consumer Directed Services Model), defines Essential Transportation as all essential shopping/errands (whether or not the participant is with the CDS attendant), medical appointments, * school, or employment, etc. *CDS Transportation does not include transporting to medical appointments when the appointment is covered under the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) program.