Frequently Asked Questions
For Patients
For Providers
Patient FAQs
Home health care is a specialized service that provides patient care and education to individuals within their own homes. Services can be delivered to people who are injured, suffering from a short-term, long-term or chronic illness, recovering from surgery, mentally ill or dealing with physical disabilities.
To qualify for home health care services from Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), you must meet these qualification guidelines:
- You must need skilled nursing care or rehabilitation therapy (physical, occupational or speech).
- Your home health care services must be medically necessary and ordered by your physician.
- You must not require care on a daily basis.
- You must be considered homebound.
How do I know if I am considered homebound?
To be considered homebound, patients must meet these standard guidelines set by Medicare:
- You can only leave the home for short, infrequent trips (leaving home for medical and therapy appointments is not in violation of homebound status).
- Leaving the home is an extremely taxing effort and requires the assistance of another person or a device.
Insurance companies can vary on their definitions of homebound. Be sure to check with your insurance carrier about your policy's home health requirements.
VNA is Medicare and Medicaid certified, affiliated with many major managed care plans and most insurance carriers. VNA's billing specialists can verify all coverage and bill your insurance directly for services. Individuals and families may pay for VNA home health services out-of-pocket as well if necessary or preferred.
Ask several questions before determining which home health care agency will provide the best care for you or your loved one. Important questions include:
- Is the agency Medicare/Medicaid certified?
- Is it a licensed agency?
- How long has the agency been in business?
- Are all employees bonded?
- Are all employees insured against malpractice while in your home?
- Are all employees screened and tested for appropriate skills? Are references checked?
- Is someone available 24 hours a day to handle problems?
- Is there assistance with filing insurance claims?
- Do you get to participate in your own home health plan of care?
- What if you have a problem while regarding the home health services you are receiving?
Be sure all your questions are answered to your satisfaction before contracting with any agency offering health care services inside your home. See our answers to these questions.
While both types of agencies focus on the same goal – helping homebound patients receive the medical and therapy services they need – there are several differences between private duty nursing and home health care. The three primary differences are time, payment and medical necessity.
Unlike home health care, private duty nursing does not require a need for skilled nursing or rehabilitation therapy in order to receive services. Private duty doesn't need physician orders and generally includes a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 24 hours per visit. Each visit is paid for on an hourly basis and can be requested as often as the client needs. By contrast, home health care is provided on an intermittent (non-daily) basis only, visits typically take 1-2 hours and are ordered by your physician.
Experience. VNA of Kansas City has been providing excellence in home health care since 1891. We were the first home health care agency to serve Kansas City residents and home to the original visiting nurse. We are also the sixth oldest home health agency in the United States.
Size is another differentiator. We are the largest nonprofit home health care agency in Kansas City, providing services to 17 counties in and around the metropolitan area.
VNA sees an average of 6,500 patients annually. Our home health practitioners travel approximately 1.5 million miles around the Kansas City metro area making home visits each year.
The mission of VNA is to provide patients with the highest quality of care, and to provide patients and families with the instruction needed to live independently once services are completed. Additionally, VNA medical social workers educate patients and families on community resources and assist them in gaining access to available support.
VNA provides service to 17 counties surrounding the Kansas City metropolitan area. VNA is licensed in both Missouri and Kansas, and our visiting staff is licensed in the appropriate state(s) for their patients.
To find out if you are located in the VNA service area, call 816-627-6210 or view our service area map.
If a problem develops, please contact the VNA clinical director at 816-531-1200. You may also issue a complaint to your state department of health, Medicare hotline or your local Better Business Bureau.
VNA has clinical managers on-call 24 hours a day in case of emergencies. They can be reached by phone at 816-531-1200. They are able to connect you to your nurse or therapist, or if you need immediate attention, VNA may direct you to go to the nearest emergency room.
Federal law requires that home health care agencies inform all patients of their rights and responsibilities. We can provide you with a summary of patient rights and responsibilities that are consistent with state laws, as well as our notice of privacy practices.
For more information or assistance, please contact us online or call our main office at 816-531-1200. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Provider FAQs
How can I make a referral to VNA?
For your convenience, VNA accepts referrals online, by phone at 816-627-6210 or by fax at 816-627-6235. If you prefer faxing your orders, feel free to request a VNA fax referral form that makes the process quick and simple. As always, if there are any questions regarding the referral process, contact the customer referral center at 816.627.6210.
Electronic order signature allows you to review and sign your patient orders online. With the increasing use of electronic medical records in health care today, electronic order signature with VNA can complement any medical practice.
Call VNA at 816-531-1200 and ask to be set up with electronic order signature. A VNA representative will come to your office and provide a brief demonstration first so you can see how our online signature process works. If you wish to proceed, VNA will set up the process for your office.
VNA measures the health outcomes of our patients each quarter. We analyze these outcomes closely to determine the strengths and weaknesses of services rendered during that period of time. After reviewing outcome results, we develop and implement strategies to continuously improve our programs and the overall quality of care in every aspect of services provided.
Often, with documentation of agency correspondence on file and copies of certifications in the chart, physicians can bill Medicare for managing patients in home health care (code G0180 is used for initial certification, and G0179 is used for each follow up). For more information contact VNA at 816-531-1200.
For additional assistance, please contact us online or call our main office at 816-531-1200. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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I really can't say enough about VNA's kindness, professionalism and responsiveness to my needs. All took the time to make sure I understood my condition and how they were treating it. They were wonderful."
I had a wonderful experience with the therapists. My nurse was excellent and really cared about the outcome of my visits. I would strongly recommend VNA again to anyone."
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