CMS Pub. 100-08, ch. 6, § 6.2.1.1

When conducting a medical necessity review, the review contractor shall determine whether

the supporting documentation addresses each of the following criteria for which a physician

certified (attested to):

1. Homebound. Home health services are or were required because the individual is or

was confined to the home per the criteria below (as defined in sections 1835(a) and

1814(a) of the Social Security Act).

a. Criteria-One:

The patient must--

- Because of illness or injury, need the aid of supportive devices such as

crutches, canes, wheelchairs, and walkers; the use of special transportation; or the

assistance of another person in order to leave their place of residence

OR

- Have a condition such that leaving his or her home is medically

contraindicated.

If the patient meets one of the Criteria-One conditions, then the patient must ALSO

meet two additional requirements defined in Criteria-Two below.

b. Criteria-Two:

- There must exist a normal inability to leave home;

AND

- Leaving home must require a considerable and taxing effort.

In determining whether the patient meets criterion two of the homebound definition,

the clinician needs to take into account the illness or injury for which the patient met

criterion one and consider the illness or injury in the context of the patient’s overall

condition. The clinician is not required to include standardized phrases reflecting the

patient’s condition (e.g., repeating the words “taxing effort to leave the home”) in the

patient’s chart, nor are such phrases sufficient, by themselves, to demonstrate that

criterion two has been met. For example, longitudinal clinical information about the

patient’s health status is typically needed to sufficiently demonstrate a normal

inability to leave the home and that leaving home requires a considerable and taxing

effort. Such clinical information about the patient’s overall health status may include,

but is not limited to, such factors as the patient’s diagnosis, duration of the patient’s

condition, clinical course (worsening or improvement), prognosis, nature and extent

of functional limitations, other therapeutic interventions and results, etc.

2. Skilled Care. The patient needs or needed intermittent skilled nursing care

(other than solely venipuncture for the purposes of obtaining a blood sample),

physical therapy, and/or speech language pathology services as defined in 42

CFR 409.42(c).

NOTE: Where a patient’s sole skilled service need is for skilled oversight of

unskilled services (management and evaluation of the care plan as defined in

42 CFR 409.42(c)), the physician must include a brief narrative describing the

clinical justification of this need as part of the certification, or as a signed

addendum to the certification. The physician must sign immediately following

the narrative.

3. Plan of Care. A plan for furnishing the services has been established and is, or

will be, periodically reviewed by a physician who is a doctor of medicine,

osteopathy, or podiatric medicine (a doctor of podiatric medicine may perform

only plan of treatment functions that are consistent with the functions he or she

is authorized to perform under state law). If the physician’s orders for home

health services meet the requirements specified in 42 CFR 409.43 Plan of Care

Requirements, this meets the requirement for establishing a plan of care as part

of the certification of patient eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit.

4. Under Physician Care. Home health services will be or were furnished while

the individual is or was under the care of a physician who is a doctor of

medicine, osteopathy, or podiatric medicine.

5. Face-to-Face Encounter. A face-to-face patient encounter occurred no more

than 90 days prior to the home health start of care date or within 30 days after

the start of the home health care, was related to the primary reason the patient

requires home health services, and was performed by an allowed provider type

defined in 42 CFR 424.22(a)(1)(v). The certifying physician must also

document the date of the encounter as part of the certification.

While the face-to-face encounter must be related to the primary reason for

home health services, the patient’s skilled need and homebound status can be

substantiated through an examination of all submitted medical record

documentation from the certifying physician, acute/post-acute care facility,

and/or HHA (see below). The synthesis of progress notes, diagnostic findings,

medications, nursing notes, etc., help to create a longitudinal clinical picture of

the patient’s health status.