Glossary of Terms

Homebound Medicare’s eligibility requirement for home health. In real life, it means leaving home requires significant effort or assistance. You may still leave for medical appointments, church, or rare events. Protection: If an agency claims you are “not homebound” because you left home once, they are misrepresenting Medicare rules.

Skilled Need A nurse or therapist is required to keep you safe or stable. This includes wound care, medication management, safety monitoring, and maintenance therapy. Protection: Stability does not eliminate skilled need — Medicare explicitly allows maintenance care.

Intermittent Care Care delivered in visits, not 24/7. Agencies often misuse this term to limit visits. Protection: “Intermittent” does not mean “rare.” It means “not continuous.”

Recertification Renewing home health services every 60 days. Chronic patients often need ongoing care. Protection: Medicare allows recertification indefinitely if skilled need continues.

Not Medically Necessary A phrase agencies use to deny services. Often used incorrectly or without basis. Protection: Ask: “Show me the Medicare rule.” They usually cannot.