Minn. Stat. §256B.0651, Minn. Stat. §256B.0652, Minn. Stat. §256B.0653, Minn. Stat. §256B.0625 subd. 6A, 42 CFR 440.70.

Home health agency services: Services a home health agency provides to a person with medical needs due to illnesses, disabilities or physical conditions. These services are delivered in the person’s place of residence or in the community. They cannot be delivered in a hospital, nursing facility or intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities (ICF/DD) (except in certain circumstances; see skilled nursing visit ICF/DD exception).

Home health agencies require a Medicare certification and a comprehensive license from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

People may receive both home health agency services and personal care assistance (PCA)/Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) or home care nursing (HCN) services.

An agency’s registered nurse or appropriate therapist must conduct an assessment within 30 days of a person’s request for home health agency services to determine the person’s need for service.

The following services can be delivered by a home health agency:

The process to request prior authorization varies by service.

All home health agency services require a face-to-face visit at the start of services, in addition to any other prior authorization requirements. This requirement applies to people who use:

Exception

The face-to-face requirement does not apply when an SNV is provided for a one-time perinatal visit.

Process

A face-to-face visit can occur in person or through telehomecare. This visit must:

1. Occur within 90 days before or 30 days after the start of services

2. Address the primary reason the person needs home health agency services

3. Be completed by one of the following qualified providers licensed in Minnesota:

Documentation

If a qualified provider other than the person’s physician completes the face-to-face visit, the provider must send the documentation, including clinical findings of the visit, to the person’s physician.

The physician’s documentation must include all of the following information:

1. The name of the qualified provider who completed the visit

2. The date the provider completed the visit

3. Confirmation that:

The home health agency must: