Frequently Asked Questions
We hope you will take full advantage of the Intrepid USA team’s knowledge and skills. We are here to serve and help you and your family.
If you have any questions about at-home healthcare services that we have not covered here, please feel free to reach out to your local Intrepid USA Healthcare office for more information.
Independent Living
Support Programs
Family Heritage & Life Story Transitions Programs
Personal Care
Personal care (sometimes called “home care,” “assistive care,” “in-home care,” or “private duty care”) refers to non-medical services provided to individuals who need help with day-to-day tasks, such as:
- Hands-on care (bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding, transferring, grooming)
- Homemaking services (light housekeeping and chores)
- Companionship services (shopping, errands, transportation).
After an initial assessment over the phone, a member of our Care Team will schedule a visit with you and any family members to learn more about your needs(s).
Based on the in-person visit, our Care Team will develop a customized care plan for you.
Yes. Personal care services are available 24 hours, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
Personal care is just that – personalized! When your needs change, so does your care plan. We are prepared to accommodate that by increasing or decreasing the number of services and the frequency or duration of visits.
Medicare will only pay for medically necessary care. This means that personal care services are typically not covered by Medicare.
There are several options available to help you pay for personal care services.
Every situation is unique. Our goal is to help you maximize the resources and benefits available to you and help you make an informed decision. To find out exactly what your payment mix might look like, please contact us directly.
Common methods of payment include:
- Medicaid: Medicaid provides health insurance and medical assistance to people who meet certain income eligibility requirements. If you have Medicaid, we can help you understand which services you may be eligible for.
- Long-Term Care Insurance: If you have long-term care insurance, your policy may cover certain nursing and personal care/assistive care services that are not covered by Medicare or traditional insurance.
- Veterans’ Benefits: If you are a Veteran, you may be eligible to have the government pay for some personal care services.
- Workers’ Compensation: If you need home care because of something that happened on the job, your Workers’ Compensation benefits may cover some or all of your home care service costs.
- Private Pay (by check or credit card): Contact us and we can provide the hourly rate for services in your area.
If you feel that you or a loved one may benefit from personal care, you can send us a message or call us toll-free at (888) 800-5311.
Healthcare at Home
Home health care refers to a variety of medical services delivered in the comfort of your home as you recover from illness, injury, a medical procedure, or manage a chronic illness.
This care, provided by our experienced team of licensed nurses, therapists, and home health aides, is designed to help you or your loved one achieve the best possible outcome and regain your independence.
Examples of skilled home health services include:
- Wound care for pressure sores or a surgical wound
- Patient and caregiver education
- Intravenous or nutrition therapy
- Injections
- Monitoring serious illness and unstable health status.
As the name suggests, home health is for patients who require assistance from a health care professional at home.
To be eligible for home health care services, you or your loved one must meet the following criteria:
- Your doctor must prescribe home health care services.
- You require either skilled nursing care on an intermittent basis or therapy services (i.e., physical/occupational/speech therapy)
- You are restricted in your ability to leave home (“homebound”), and your physician must certify your homebound status.
“Homebound” means that you are restricted in your ability to leave home. However, it does not mean leaving home is impossible for you either. It means that leaving your home requires a considerable and taxing effort.
You can still leave your home for things like medical treatments, religious services, a trip to the store, or a brief family event without putting your homebound status at risk.
You are considered homebound if:
- You rely on the help of another person or assistive devices like crutches, a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair to leave your home
- Your doctor believes that your health or illness could worsen if you leave your home
- You have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19
- You are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 (age 65+ or any age with an underlying condition).
There are many programs that can help pay for the cost of home health care.
Medicare
- The Medicare home health benefit typically covers 100% of part-time or intermittent services such as:
- Physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Skilled nursing
- Home health aide
- Medical social services
- Medical supplies and equipment.
- To qualify for the Medicare home health benefit, you must meet the following requirements:
- You are under the care of a doctor who regularly reviews your plan of care.
- Your doctor certifies that you need home health care services.
- The home health agency you choose is Medicare-certified.
- Your doctor certifies that you’re homebound.
Veterans Benefits
- If you are an eligible veteran, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may help pay for home health care. Veterans benefits may cover:
- Nursing care
- Patient education
- Physical, speech and occupational therapy
- Services from a social worker
- Home safety evaluation
- The cost of care can vary, and there may be copays in certain situations.
- Contact your VA social worker or case manager for more information about the services covered.
Private Insurance
- Private health insurance plans may cover skilled, short-term, medically-necessary home health care.
- Coverage varies from plan to plan, and there may be copays in some situations.
- Review your insurance policy coverage and benefit materials for information about the services available under your specific plan.
Medicaid
- Medicaid may pay for home health care and some non-medical personal care to help eligible seniors stay in their homes.
- Medicaid rules vary by state, so check your eligibility and benefits.
- If you are eligible, Medicaid may cover:
- Skilled nursing
- Physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Home health aide
- Medical social work services
- Medical equipment and supplies
- Nutrition counseling
- Meal preparation/delivery
- Cleaning, laundry, and some homemaker services
- Certain home modifications
- Transportation assistance.
Private Pay
- If you have resources available, private pay for home health may be an option. Some individuals use a combination of:
- Personal savings
- Home equity loans or reverse mortgages
- Life insurance plans with cash value or accelerated benefits
- Annuities.
Yes. When your doctor refers home health services, a member of our Care Team will come to your home to do a thorough evaluation of your needs. We will work directly with your doctor to review your assessment and develop your personalized plan of care.
All future home health visits will center around this physician-ordered plan of care, and our Care Team will keep your physician updated on your progress.
If your condition or needs change, we will work with your doctor to review your care plan and make adjustments as necessary.
The frequency of home health care visits and the services provided are based on your personalized care plan. Your doctor may change your plan of care, increasing or decreasing the number of visits or services to ensure you receive the best care for your unique needs.
Your doctor will determine the number of visits you receive, how often the visits should occur, and how long they should last, based on your unique needs and health status.
If you feel that you or a loved one may benefit from at-home health services, we are only a phone call away. One of our knowledgeable Intrepid USA Care Team members can work with you and your physician to determine if home health is an option for you.
You can send us a message here or call us toll-free at (888) 800-5311.
Palliative & Supportive Care
Palliative Care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing you with relief from the symptoms, pain, and the stress of your illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life for you and your family.
We work directly with your current doctors and other care team members to provide an extra layer of support so we can give you the help you deserve.
At Intrepid USA, we provide community-based palliative care, which means we bring palliative care directly to you – wherever you call home!
Important things to remember about palliative care :
- It is individual and based on your needs
- It is available at any age for those with serious illness
- It can be given at any stage of the serious illness
- It can be provided along with all other care and treatment that you are receiving from your other health care providers such as your primary care doctor and other specialists.
Palliative care may be right for you if you have a serious illness. Serious illnesses include, but are not limited to:
- Cancer
- Heart Disease, such as Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), etc.
- Lung Disease, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema, etc.
- Kidney Failure, such as End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
- Liver Failure, such as Advanced Cirrhosis
- Dementia, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, etc.
- Neurological Diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s Disease, etc.
Palliative care is appropriate at any stage of a serious illness. You can also have palliative care at the same time as treatment that is meant to cure you.
Our program currently is embedded within our home health program, which requires you to be homebound – simply meaning that it is a difficult effort for you to get out of your home.
At Intrepid USA Healthcare, our goal is to bring palliative care directly to you in the comfort and safety of your own home.
Our specially-trained palliative care nurses and therapists work together with your other care team members, including your doctor, to provide the best quality of life possible.
We have a whole support team available to assist you including social workers, chaplains, and volunteers.
You can expect enhanced quality of life. It will improve your ability to go through medical treatments, and ensure that you have relief from any burdensome symptoms such as:
- Pain
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping.
We understand that navigating the healthcare system can sometimes be intimidating and confusing, and we want to help you with that – so you can also expect close communication and more control over your care.
Through this process, we will work together with you to build a care plan that is based on your goals and values.
The palliative care team will spend time talking and listening to you and your family or chosen loved ones. They will make sure you completely understand all of your treatment options and choices.
By exploring your personal goals and values, your palliative care clinician will help you match those goals to the available options. They will also help coordinate with all of your doctors and other care team members to ensure everyone understands what you want.
Most insurance plans cover all or part of palliative care, just as with other hospital and medical care services. This is also true of Medicare and Medicaid.
With our palliative program embedded within your home health benefit, there is no additional cost for a palliative care specialist visit outside of your usual home health charges.
Please check with your insurance company about your home health benefit coverage, or feel free to speak to a member of our billing team with any questions that you may have- 1-888-800-5311, option 0 (zero) and ask for a member of our billing team.
No. The palliative care team provides an extra layer of support and works in collaboration with everyone on your care team, including your primary doctor.
Yes. Your treatment choices are completely up to you. You can have palliative care at the same time as treatment meant to cure you.
You can have palliative care at any age and any stage of a serious illness, but early in your illness is recommended.
- Palliative Care, or Supportive Care, should begin at time of diagnosis with any serious illness, and is delivered concurrently with disease-directed treatments and therapies.
- Hospice Care begins after treatment of the disease is stopped and life expectancy is typically ≤ 6 months. The illness is considered terminal when you begin hospice.
In order to meet with a palliative care team member, just ask! We can start your referral process today.
You can also ask your usual doctor to send us a referral if you prefer to speak with them first.
Hospice at Home
Hospice helps patients with a life-limiting illness live as well as possible for as long as possible. It treats the person rather than the disease and focuses on quality of life.
Hospice surrounds the patient and family with a diverse medical care team works together to manage pain, increase comfort, and support every aspect of a patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Hospice is available to patients with a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness and life expectancy of six months or less, as determined by the patient’s physician. The patient or the family must be aware of the prognosis and choose comfort care rather than curative treatment.
Hospice care costs are typically 100% covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, and most private insurance plans.
To learn more about the benefits you may be eligible for, call us toll-free at (888) 800-5311 and a member of the Intrepid USA Care Team will discuss your options with you.
Intrepid USA provides hospice care for patients and families coping with a life-limiting condition. Through our unique Family Heritage & Life Story Transition Programs, we focus on quality of life, allowing the patient to spend meaningful time with their loved ones and live each day with dignity.
Hospice is designed to help patients with a life-limiting condition live their final months, weeks, and days to the fullest. It provides medical care and pain management as well as emotional and spiritual support tailored to the patient’s needs and desires.
Studies show that patients who choose hospice often live longer and experience a better quality of life than those who pursue aggressive end-of-life medical care.
You decide to receive hospice care, and you can revoke your participation at any time, without penalty. You can also reapply for hospice benefits if you so choose.
Hospice is not a place, but rather a philosophy of care that focuses on pain, symptom management, and quality of life. Many patients choose to receive hospice care in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.
A DNR is a legal document that some patients choose to incorporate in their advanced healthcare directive, but it is by no means a requirement to receive hospice care.
The purpose of hospice is to provide comfort and support for the patient and their family in whatever manner they choose.
Unequivocally, no. Hospice care is for anyone with a life-limiting illness and prognosis of six months or less. Patients with dementia, heart disease, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and more can all benefit from hospice care.
If you feel that you or a loved one may benefit from hospice care, we are only a phone call away. One of our knowledgeable Intrepid USA Care Team members can work with you and your physician to determine if hospice is an option for you.
You can send us a message here or call us toll-free at (888) 800-5311.
Paying for Care
If you answer YES to any of the questions below, you may qualify for Medicare-covered benefits:
- I take multiple medications.
- Because I take multiple medications, at times I find it difficult to remember why and/or when I should take them.
- I have had changes in my medications recently.
- I have a new health problem.
- I have been to the Emergency Room within the last 6 weeks.
- I rarely get out except for doctor appointments.
- It is difficult for me to leave the house.
- When I leave, I must take special transportation or have someone help me.
- I have recently fallen or fear I might fall.
- I have an upcoming elective surgery scheduled.