What to Have Ready Before You Call a Home Health Agency

Written by Jennifer Chen Wound Care Specialist, CWCN Oct 12, 2026

If a doctor or discharge planner has mentioned home health, or you have started to worry that a parent needs more help at home, the next step is often a phone call. A few minutes of preparation before calling a home health agency can make that call shorter, clearer, and more useful. You will get better answers, and the agency will be able to tell you sooner whether home health looks like the right fit.

This guide is written for families and caregivers, not for medical offices. It walks through the information to gather, how to tell what kind of Medicare coverage the patient has, how to think about homebound status, which questions to ask, and how to choose one family contact person. You do not need every item on this list to call, but the more you have, the smoother the conversation tends to be.

Why it helps to prepare before calling a home health agency

Home health is not something you simply sign up for. Medicare-certified home health is skilled care, such as nursing or therapy, provided at home under a plan of care that a physician or allowed practitioner orders and signs. The agency has to confirm that the patient qualifies, that the care is medically necessary, and that the patient’s coverage applies.

Those checks depend on facts that only the family or the medical team can provide. When you call with the basics in hand, the intake team can review eligibility in one conversation instead of several. When key details are missing, the agency usually needs to call you back, call the doctor, or wait for records. That is normal, but it takes time.

Preparing also helps you. Writing down what is going on with the patient, what changed recently, and what you are worried about helps you explain the situation calmly, even if the call comes at a stressful moment.

If you want to know what happens after the call, our article on how fast home health can start after a referral explains the timeline and what can slow it down.

The basic information to have in front of you

Start with a sheet of paper or a note on your phone. Gather the following.

The patient’s identifying details

• Full legal name, as it appears on the Medicare or insurance card
• Date of birth
• The address where care will happen, including any unit or apartment number
• The best phone number for the patient, and for you

If the patient is staying with a relative after a hospital stay, give that address instead of their usual home. Home health visits happen where the patient is living during the episode of care.

The doctor’s name and contact information

The agency needs to know which physician or allowed practitioner will order and oversee home health. That might be the primary care doctor, a specialist, a surgeon, or the hospital team. Have the doctor’s name, office phone number, and fax number if you can find it on a bill, a prescription label, or an after-visit summary.

If no doctor has ordered home health yet, that is fine. The agency can explain how ordering works. Our article on how to get a doctor to order home health services covers that step in more detail.

The reason for care and any recent hospital stay

Be ready to describe, in plain words, why you think the patient needs help. For example, a recent surgery, a new wound, a fall, a change in medications, worsening heart or lung symptoms, or new weakness after an illness. If there was a recent hospital or skilled nursing facility stay, note the name of the facility, the dates, and the main diagnosis if you know it. The discharge papers usually list this.

Recent visits matter because Medicare requires a face-to-face encounter with a physician or allowed practitioner related to the main reason for home health. It must take place within 90 days before or 30 days after the start of care. A recent hospital stay or office visit may meet this requirement if the provider’s notes support it.

A current medication list

Write down every medication the patient takes, including the dose and how often. Include vitamins, supplements, inhalers, eye drops, creams, and injections. If medications changed at discharge, use the new list and keep the old one nearby in case the nurse wants to compare. Medication review is a core part of the first nursing visit. Our in-home medication management services page explains what that support can include when it is ordered.

The Medicare or insurance card

Have the card in your hand during the call. The agency will ask for the member number and the name printed on it. This is also where one of the most important questions comes in.

Check whether the patient has Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan

Many families say the patient has Medicare without knowing which kind. The difference affects which agencies can provide care and what approvals may be needed, so it is worth checking before you call.

Original Medicare is the government program run directly by Medicare. The card is usually red, white, and blue, and it shows Medicare Part A and Part B with their start dates. With Original Medicare, the patient can generally use any Medicare-certified home health agency that accepts them and serves their area.

A Medicare Advantage plan is offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare. The card usually shows the plan or company name instead of only the Medicare design. Some patients carry both the red, white, and blue card and a separate plan card, and the plan card is the one that matters for home health. Advantage plans may require the patient to use an in-network home health agency and may require prior authorization before care begins.

If you are not sure which one the patient has, look at both sides of every card in the patient’s wallet and check recent mail about health coverage. You can also ask the doctor’s office which plan they bill. When you call, simply read the card to the intake team and they can help sort it out. Our insurance page explains how HarvardCare Home Health reviews coverage, and our guide to Original Medicare and home health coverage goes deeper into how that benefit works.

Medicare may cover home health services when the patient is eligible and the care is medically necessary and ordered. Coverage is always confirmed case by case. For official details, see Medicare’s page on home health services coverage.

Think through homebound status before you call

Medicare home health is for patients who are homebound. This is often the question that decides whether home health is the right service, so it helps to think about it honestly before calling.

Under CMS guidance, homebound has two parts. First, because of an illness or injury, the patient needs a device such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair, special transportation, or another person’s help to leave home, or leaving home is medically not advised. Second, the patient is normally unable to leave home, and leaving takes a considerable and taxing effort.

Homebound does not mean the patient can never go out. Trips for medical care, adult day care, or religious services, and infrequent short outings such as a haircut or a family event, do not by themselves disqualify someone. On the other hand, a patient who drives, runs errands regularly, or goes out often without much effort is usually not homebound, and outpatient care is often a better fit.

Questions to think about before the call:

• Does the patient need someone to help them get to the car or down the stairs?
• Do they use a walker, cane, or wheelchair to leave the house?
• Are they tired, short of breath, or in pain after a short trip outside?
• Has a doctor told them to limit activity or avoid leaving home?
• How often do they actually go out, and for what?

For a full explanation, read our guide on what qualifies as homebound for Medicare. The patient also needs a skilled need, such as intermittent skilled nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, or continuing occupational therapy. Our page on skilled nursing care at home describes what that nursing can involve.

If the call is about physical therapy, our comparison of home health vs outpatient physical therapy can help you tell which kind of PT fits.

The Los Angeles County details that help

Some practical details are especially useful in LA County, where homes, distances, and family situations vary widely.

• Access to the home. Mention stairs, apartments without elevators, hillside streets, gated buildings, gate codes, and where a visitor can park. These details help the clinician arrive on time and also say something about how hard it is for the patient to leave home.
• Distance to appointments. If getting to the doctor means a long drive in heavy traffic, several transfers, or a caregiver taking time off work, that context is worth sharing.
• Preferred language. Many LA County families speak more than one language at home. If the patient or caregiver prefers a language other than English, say so early so the agency can plan communication.
• Caregiver schedules. If the main caregiver works during the day, tell the agency which hours someone can be present.

HarvardCare Home Health serves patients across Los Angeles County, including communities such as Glendale, Koreatown, and East Los Angeles. Giving the full address up front lets the intake team confirm right away whether the patient is in the service area.

Questions to ask the home health agency

The call is a two-way conversation. You are sharing information, but you are also deciding whether this agency is a good fit. Patients have the right to choose a Medicare-certified home health agency, so it is reasonable to ask questions. Consider writing these down:

1. Is the agency Medicare-certified?
2. Does the agency serve the patient’s address?
3. Does the agency work with the patient’s type of coverage, and will it check whether prior authorization is needed?
4. Which services might be available, such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or aide support, if ordered?
5. What happens next after this call, and what is still missing?
6. Will the agency contact the doctor for the order, or should the family do that?
7. Who will call to schedule the first visit, and roughly when?
8. Who should the family call with questions after hours?
9. Can the agency communicate in the patient’s or caregiver’s preferred language?

Our article on how to choose the right home health agency offers more ideas for comparing agencies.

Keep in mind that visit frequency and length are set by the physician-ordered plan of care after the clinician’s assessment, so the agency cannot tell you an exact schedule on the first call. A good agency will explain this clearly instead of making promises.

Choose one family contact person

When several relatives are involved, information can get lost. One sibling talks to the hospital, another talks to the agency, and a third shows up at the first visit without knowing what was said. Choosing one main contact person keeps things simpler.

The contact person does not have to do everything. Their job is to be the person the agency calls first, to keep the folder of paperwork, and to share updates with the rest of the family. If the patient can make their own decisions, they should agree on who this person is. If someone holds a healthcare power of attorney, let the agency know and have a copy available.

It also helps to name a backup contact, with a phone number, in case the main person is at work or unavailable.

Put it all in one folder

A simple folder kept near the phone or the patient’s bed can save a lot of searching. Consider including:

• A copy of the Medicare or plan card, front and back
• The current medication list
• Discharge papers and recent visit summaries
• The doctor’s name, phone, and fax
• Upcoming appointment dates
• Contact names and numbers for the family
• Any advance directive or power of attorney documents

The same folder will be useful at the first visit. For a preview of that appointment, read what to expect during your first home health visit.

A note on safety and medical advice

This article is general education, not medical advice. Always follow the orders and instructions of the patient’s treating provider. Home health is planned, intermittent care and is not an emergency service. If the patient has chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, a serious fall, heavy bleeding, or any other emergency, call 911 right away instead of calling a home health agency.

Frequently asked questions about calling a home health agency

Do I need a doctor’s order before calling a home health agency?

No. You can call first to ask questions and have the agency review whether home health may be appropriate. Care cannot start until a physician or allowed practitioner orders it, but the agency can explain how that step usually works.

What if I cannot find the medication list?

Gather the pill bottles in one place and read the labels during the call, or ask the pharmacy or the doctor’s office for a current list. The nurse will review medications at the first visit as well.

How do I know if my parent has Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan?

Look at the cards. The red, white, and blue Medicare card alone usually means Original Medicare. A card from a private company with a plan name usually means a Medicare Advantage plan. If you are unsure, read both cards to the intake team or ask the doctor’s office which plan they bill.

Can I call on behalf of a parent who lives alone?

Yes. Family members and caregivers often make the first call. The agency will still need to speak with the patient, or with their legal representative, about consent and the plan of care.

What if my parent goes out sometimes? Can they still qualify?

Possibly. Leaving home for medical care, religious services, adult day care, or occasional short outings does not by itself rule out homebound status. What matters is whether leaving home normally takes a considerable and taxing effort and requires help, a device, or special transportation.

I work for a hospital or doctor’s office. Is there a separate process?

Yes. Doctors, discharge planners, and case managers can send patient information through the professional referral form linked below. This article is meant for families.

Ready to make the call?