Housecall Providers, Inc.

Primary health care and hospice care for homebound patients

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(971) 202-5500

Patients Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who is eligible to receive an in home medical care visit from Housecall Providers? Answer
  2. How do I get started as a new patient? Answer
  3. How long will it take to schedule my first house call doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant visit? Answer
  4. What types of services do you offer? Answer
  5. What is transition care? Answer
  6. What do you consider to be “home”? Where can a Housecall Providers primary care clinician see me? Answer
  7. What types of insurance does Housecall Providers accept? Answer
  8. Can I use a secondary insurance policy to cover what my primary insurance does not cover? Answer
  9. Will my provider visits be scheduled regularly or on as-needed basis? Answer
  10. What if I need a visit after hours, on the weekend, or on a holiday? Answer
  11. Will my Housecall Providers clinician be my primary doctor? Answer
  12. How do I contact my primary care provider if I have a medical question? Answer
  13. What is palliative care? Answer
  14. How will I know when in home palliative care is appropriate? Answer
  15. How will I know when hospice care is appropriate? Answer
  16. What kind of services does Housecall Providers Hospice offer? Answer
  17. How is hospice paid for? Answer
  18. Can I keep my primary care provider if I am receiving hospice care? Answer

  1. Who is eligible to receive an in home medical care visit from Housecall Providers?

    Housecall Providers serves homebound adults living in the greater Portland area. Our patient population includes medically fragile elders, individuals with multiple complex chronic health conditions, and people with physical or mental disabilities. All of our patients must meet the Medicare definition for being “homebound” in order to receive a house call. If you are normally confined to your home, or if leaving your home requires special equipment or help from others and considerable or taxing effort, you may qualify as homebound. In addition, the patient must NOT be in need of an emergency first visit, and the patient (or family, if appropriate) must agree to accept our services.

  2. How do I get started as a new patient?

    • Give our Intake Department a call at (971) 202-5566.
    • Our intake coordinators will gather basic information and conduct a brief pre-screening with you over the phone.
    • If our services are appropriate for your needs, our coordinator will send you a New Patient Application form to complete and return to our offices.
    • Once we have your completed form, you will either be contacted to set up an appointment time or be added to the waitlist for the clinician who practices in your area.

  3. How long will it take to schedule my first in home medical care visit?

    The length of time before your first visit is scheduled will vary depending on several factors, including:

    • Where you live
    • What insurance plan you have
    • Our clinician availability in your area

    Our intake team can give you an estimate as to how long your wait might be, but because things change constantly, it can be difficult to make accurate predictions. We encourage you to begin the registration process early- before a crisis hits, as we are not able to make urgent visits to new patients.

  4. What types of services do you offer?

    Housecall Providers seamlessly integrates primary care, transitional care, palliative care and hospice services into one unique program, so we can provide the best possible care and support throughout the entire lifespan of our patients. Many of the medical services you’d find in a traditional office-based medical clinic can be performed in the home by our specially trained clinicians. Some of these services include: physical examinations, medication prescription and management, diagnostic testing (such as EKGs, x-rays, and ultrasounds), lab testing, immunizations, wound care, wart/skin tag removal, chronic disease evaluation and management, pulse oximetry, and many more. Our care coordinators work with patients and their insurance companies to schedule appointments, coordinate with specialists, and order durable medical equipment. See our Patient Services page for further information about our services.

  5. What is transition care?

    The transition team is made up of nurses and social workers who assist the patient’s primary care provider in preventing unnecessary emergency room visits or hospitalizations. When a caregiver notifies us of a health crisis requiring a trip to the hospital, our transition team becomes the patient’s advocate throughout the entire process. In addition, they play a key role in the discharge process, ensuring the patient has the correct equipment, information, medication and care they need to continue healing at home. See our Patient Services page for further information about our services.

  6. What do you consider to be “home”? Where can a Housecall Providers primary care clinician see me?

    Wherever you live! We visit patients living in private homes, adult care homes, assisted living and residential care facilities. Call our office if you have a question or need further clarification. Geographic areas we currently serve in the Portland Metro Area: Eastern boundary: Gresham/Troutdale Western boundary: Forest Grove Northern boundary: North Portland/St. Johns Southern boundary: Tualatin, Wilsonville, Oregon City

  7. What types of insurance does Housecall Providers accept?

    • Medicare (including most Medicare Advantage plans)
    • Medicaid (including CareOregon and FamilyCare)
    • Most secondary link (Medigap type) insurance
    • We are in network with most plans including: Blue Cross Blue Shield /MedAdvantage Secure Horizons Providence Health Plan

    We do not turn anyone away from care due to lack of insurance coverage or financial hardship.

  8. Can I use a secondary insurance policy to cover what my primary insurance does not cover?

    Yes, Housecall Providers will automatically bill your secondary insurance for any charges that are not covered by a patient’s primary insurance.

  9. Will my provider visits be scheduled regularly or on as-needed basis?

    On average, patients are visited about once a month. Patients may be seen more or less frequently based on their individual needs.

  10. What if I need a visit after hours, on the weekend, or on a holiday?

    We do not routinely make after-hours or weekend visits, but a clinician is available by phone 24×7. Clinicians take turns managing weekend phone calls so our patients, their caregivers or family members always have access to a Housecall Providers clinician.

  11. Will my Housecall Providers clinician be my primary doctor?

    Yes. When you apply to be a Housecall Providers patient we ask that you sign a release stating that our clinician will take over as your primary care practitioner.

  12. How do I contact my primary care provider if I have a medical question?

    Because our clinicians spend all day out in the field seeing patients, the best way to contact them with a medical question is to call our office at (971) 202-5500, and ask to speak to your clinician’s care coordinator. Our care coordinators are in contact with the primary care provider throughout the day, and will be able to make sure they receive your message.

  13. What is palliative care?

    Palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms that cause suffering and finding the best quality of life as chosen by a patient and their family. Palliative care employs an interdisciplinary team approach, similar to hospice, to provide holistic care to improve physical and psychosocial symptoms. See our Patient Services page for further information about our services.

  14. How will I know when in home palliative care is appropriate?

    Housecall Providers specialized medical treatment follows the palliative care model: focusing on anticipating and managing symptoms for better quality of life. Patients who need an increase in support can be referred by their PCP to our own palliative care team. See our Patient Services page for further information about our services.

  15. How will I know when hospice care is appropriate?

    Hospice care focuses on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatments, and is designed to provide support to you and your loved ones during the transition from life to death. If you think hospice might be right for you or would like to learn more, please call our hospice intake team at (971) 202- 5501. You do not have to be a primary care patient to receive hospice services at Housecall Providers. See our Patient Services page for further information about our services.

  16. What kind of services does Housecall Providers Hospice offer?

    Our committed and compassionate team can respond quickly to our patients changing health needs and offer support to families or caregivers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Housecall Providers Hospice also offers:

    • Case supervision by a staff doctor
    • Nursing consultations for assessment and recommendations regarding pain and symptom control
    • Medications, medical equipment and supplies
    • Patient and family education about disease progression
    • Medical social work services
    • Certified nurse’s aide and homemaker services
    • Emotional and spiritual support
    • Trained respite and companion volunteers assistance and support
    • Bereavement and grief support

    See our Patient Services page for further information about our services.

  17. How is hospice paid for?

    Hospice care is covered 100% by Medicare and Medicaid. Some private insurance may require a copay or coinsurance, but no one will be declined hospice care due to financial hardship.

  18. Can I keep my primary care provider if I am receiving hospice care?

    Yes. We created our hospice in 2009 with the mission of providing our patients with a seamless transition into hospice services. Your primary care provider will continue to be at the center of your hospice care team, working with hospice nurses, social workers and chaplains to enable you to have an aware, pain-free life, while living each day to the fullest extent possible.

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