Family physicians need to be aware of potential fraud and abuse in home health care.
That's the message from the Academy's Commission on Health Care Services in response to two resolutions from the 1995 Congress of Delegates. The resolutions address the proper use and documentation of home health services and the liability risk for FPs who sign home health agency documents.
David H. Filipi, MD, of Omaha, NE, a commission member, gives this advice to family physicians: Be careful about the documents you sign related to home health care and the associated liability risks. Also, be sure that when you sign something, you are signing for a medical reason.
The Health Care Financing Administration requires physicians to sign orders of a home health agency as a prerequisite for Medicare payment to the agency.
This puts the FP in the role of "watchdog," says Dr. Filipi. Although family physicians are frequently patient advocates, they can also be perceived as generating business for home health agencies. Furthermore, FPs may be unwittingly tarnished by fraud and abuse in home health care when they sign home health agency orders.
The commission urges AAFP members to try to protect themselves and their patients from fraud and abuse.
FP Report, July 1996 headlines
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