Keep financing in mind
The patient’s ability to pay, as well as having access to insurance or a financial assistance program, is a major contributing factor in discharge planning. All financial options need to be considered by the physicians leading the discharge planning team.
Neither Medicaid nor Medicare benefits are available to pay rent; these insurance programs pay for medical services only. Medicaid does provide some money for assistance with ADL in home- and community-based settings (such assistance is arranged through, and provided by, home health care agencies) and to Medicaid-eligible residents of an assisted living facility.
Medicaid covers 100% of a nursing home stay for an eligible resident. Medicare might cover the cost of skilled-nursing facility care if the placement falls under the criterion of an “episode of care.”
It is worth mentioning that some Veterans’ Administration money might be available to a veteran or his (her) surviving spouse for assistance with ADL in home- and community-based settings or if he (she) is institutionalized. Other local programs might provide eligible recipients with long-term care services; discharge social workers, as members of the multidisciplinary team, usually are resourceful at identifying such programs.
All in all, a complex project
Discharge planning is almost as important as the treatment given to the patient. It can be difficult to put all the pieces of the discharge plan together; sometimes, unclear disposition is the only reason a patient is kept in the hospital after being stabilized.
Above all, our ability to work with the multidisciplinary team and our knowledge of these simple steps will help us navigate our patients’ care plan successfully.
Disclosure
Dr. Graypel reports no financial relationship with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.