If your doctor decides you need home health care, you have the right to choose which home health agency will provide you with the care and services you need. Your choice should be respected by the discharge planner, hospital, physician and/or other home health agency. Although some hospitals have their own home health agency, you don’t have to choose the hospital agency. You have the right to choose any Medicare-certified agency that you believe will meet your medical needs.

It is important to remember that Medicare only pays for skilled home health services that are provided by a Medicare certified agency, which is an agency that meets certain quality standards set by the Medicare program. Although, you have a say in which home health agency you use, your choices may be limited by agency availability or if you are in a Medicare Managed Care health plan, you may have to use the home health agency that works for the health plan. A home health agency has the right to refuse to accept any individual patient if the agency is unable to meet the patient’s needs.