CarePilot

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General FAQ

What is CarePilot?

CarePilot is the Internet's leading source of information on local home health agencies and services.

What does "beta" mean?

The second letter in the Greek alphabet, "beta" is used to describe a product or service that is being tested, or that is a work in progress. During our beta phase we'll be testing different features and gathering input from users like you, to ensure that CarePilot provides the best possible experience. Though in "beta", all of the information on CarePilot is current and accurate, so feel free to explore and take advantage of all of our features.

If you have any ideas or thoughts regarding CarePilot, we'd love to hear from you

When deciding amongst home health agencies, what factors should I consider?

In addition to your research and interaction with members of the CarePilot community, we encourage you to speak with your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or social worker, as well as with friends and colleagues about their home health care experiences.

My doctor/hospital discharge planner/social worker has already recommended a home health agency, why should I use CarePilot?

When making a decision as important as choosing the right home health agency you should take numerous factors into consideration, including the recommendations and opinions of medical professionals. Use CarePilot as an informed second opinion, a resource to help you dig down into all of the available information on local home health agencies.

With the amount of health care information available today it is impossible for even the most diligent health professional to stay current on everything there is to know. That's where CarePilot comes in.

How does CarePilot make money?

During the beta phase of our service, CarePilot is free to consumers and home health agencies alike. In the future, we plan on charging for certain features and services.

Does CarePilot accept advertising on its site?

CarePilot currently does not accept advertising. This may change in the near future. We will post any changes to this policy under the FAQ section of our site.

What relationship do you have with the home health agencies that appear on your site?

CarePilot does not currently have any commercial relationships with any of the home health agencies that appear on our site. In the future, this will change as we partner with the home health community. We will make clear to our users the nature of any commercial relationship that we enter into. We strive to provide transparency in all of our business practices.

How do I tell my friends and family about CarePilot and the information that I have found on the site?

Throughout the site we have placed email buttons to enable you to conveniently share CarePilot pages and information with people outside the CarePilot community.

Privacy & Security Policies,

CarePilot Registration FAQ

How do I verify my CarePilot account?: When you've completed the registration process, you will receive an email with a special link. When you click the link you will be directed to CarePilot and your account will be automatically verified.
How do I change my basic account information?: To edit your profile or to change your account preferences, log in and click on the "My Account" link that appears at the top of any page. From there, you will be able to edit your account preferences.
How do I change my email address?: Your email address and password are found under the "My Account" link that appears at the top of any page. Log in, click the "My Account" link and you will be taken to your account page where you may edit any of your current settings.
How do I cancel my CarePilot account?: To cancel your CarePilot account, please fill out our contact_form. So that we may authenticate you, make sure that your email request originates from your primary email address (usually the one you used to create your CarePilot account). You will receive a cancellation notice from CarePilot.

Content FAQ

Where does CarePilot get its information on home health agencies?

CarePilot collects and aggregates information on home health agencies from a number of sources, including:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
Accrediting agencies,
Home health agency web sites, &
Additional online resources

We constantly search all relevant data sources and update our database accordingly.

Where does CarePilot get its home health quality measures from?

The home health quality measures that CarePilot provides come from information collected by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

In 2000, as part of a broad quality improvement initiative, the federal government began requiring that all Medicare-certified home health agencies complete and submit health assessment information on their clients. Information is collected on the patients' health, how they function, the skilled care, social, personal, and support services they need, as well as their living conditions.

What do the home health quality measures consist of?

The home health quality measures include information on patients' physical and mental health and whether their ability to perform the basic "activities of daily living" (ADL) improved.

The quality measures available include:

Three measures related to improvement in getting around
Four measures related to meeting a patient's activities of daily living
One measure related to when home health care ends
Two measures related to patient medical emergencies

A home health agency's ability to improve or maintain the health of their patients partly depends on the ability and willingness of patients and their families to help themselves and follow the treatment prescribed, even when home health staff are not in the home. How well a patient improves or maintains their level of ability while receiving home health care reflects both the agency's quality of service as well as the patient's ability to assist with the plan of care.

Why were these 10 quality measures chosen?

Each of the quality measures was chosen because it relates to activities that are important to helping individual live independently for as long as possible in their own homes.

Are all patients included in the quality measure statistics?

The quality measures are based on data collected about home health patients whose care is covered by Medicare or Medicaid and provided by a Medicare-approved home health agency. The following patients who receive services are not required to have data submitted to the federal government:

Patients under Medicaid-only certified agency care
Patients who pay privately for their care
Patients under the age of 18
Patients receiving maternity services
Patients receiving only personal care/supportive services

The home health quality measures do not reflect the quality of care provided to any of these types of patients.

To reduce the chance that a home health agency that serves sicker, older, or more frail patients looks worse in the quality measures, the quality measures are risk adjusted. This means that the quality measure take into account the characteristics (such as age and medical conditions) of patients each agency serves.

What formula does CarePilot use to calculate its Quality of Care Grade?

CarePilot's Quality of Care Grade combines the ten home health quality measures tracked by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with each given equal weight, into one numeric grade.

The calculation is (a+b+c+d+e+f+g+(1-h)+(1-i)+j)/10.

The 8th and 9th data points are inverted because a lower score is considered better than a higher score. For example:

Description	%
Percentage of patients who get better at walking or moving around	42
Percentage of patients who get better at getting in and out of bed	61
Percentage of patients whose bladder control improves	60
Percentage of patients who have less pain when moving around	67
Percentage of patients who get better at bathing	61
Percentage of patients who get better at taking their medicines correctly (by mouth)	44
Percentage of patients who are short of breath less often	72
Percentage of patients who had to be admitted to the hospital	21
Percentage of patients who need urgent, unplanned medical care	17
Percentage of patients who stay at home after an episode of home health care ends	76

Applying the formula, the calculation is:

(42 + 61 + 60 + 67 + 61 + 44 + 72 + (100 - 21) + (100 - 17) + 76)/10 = 64.5

How often is CarePilot's data updated?

The CarePilot database is dynamic and constantly growing and changing. Every day, home health agencies are adding relevant information. Home health quality measures are updated quarterly. The CarePilot database of home health providers was last updated on March 17, 2007

What is an accrediting organization?

Accrediting organizations evaluate health care service providers against performance standards. Providers that meet the performance standards are "accredited". A home health agency must voluntarily seek out accreditation. CarePilot includes accreditation information from The Joint Commission.

What is The Joint Commission?

The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1951, the Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health care organizations. The Joint Commission's comprehensive accreditation process evaluates an organization's compliance with these standards and other accreditation requirements.

Does the information on CarePilot tell me everything I need to know about a home health agency?

The information that CarePilot provides can help you make a better informed decision regarding your home health options. However, as with any other service that involves people, data and statistics can never provide a 100% complete and accurate description of the service that is ultimately received. It is difficult, if not impossible, to capture the human factor through numbers and data, regardless of their accuracy.

Home Health Care FAQ

What is home health care?

Home health care encompasses a broad spectrum of health and social services that are delivered in the home setting to persons who are disabled, chronically ill or recovering from an illness. These services include skilled nursing care and home care aide services as well as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and medical social services.

What is a home health agency?

A home health agency (HHA) is an organization that provides homecare services, including skilled nursing care and home care aide services as well as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and medical social services.

If you use a home health agency, the agency will hire and supervise the workers that come into your home. The agency assumes full liability for all care. The workers are employees of the agency, and the agency is responsible for all employee taxes and benefits.

How do I know whether homecare is right for my particular situation?

As noted above, homecare can be a viable option for persons who are disabled, chronically ill or recovering from an illness. Homecare may also be a viable option for seniors living independently who have medical &/or social needs that neither they nor family members can effectively meet.

What is a "needs assessment"?

If homecare is deemed appropriate by a physician, your home health agency will conduct a "needs assessment", a detailed evaluation of your situation that confirms the need for services ordered and identifies any other beneficial services.

The assessment is usually made by a registered nurse either in the hospital or at home. The agency then tailors a homecare plan to your needs and reviews it with you. Before finalizing the plan, the agency advises your doctor of its assessment and presents the plan for your doctor's approval.

The plan outlines key details, including treatment goals, the specific services and level of care that will be provided, and any medical equipment and supplies that may be needed.

Do I need a doctor's prescription to begin receiving skilled nursing or skilled therapy services?

Yes, to receive skilled nursing or skilled therapy services you need a doctor's prescription.

What is skilled nursing or skilled therapy services?

Skilled nursing or skilled therapy services includes care given by a trained medical professional. Nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy are all considered skilled care. In addition to providing direct care these professionals manage, observe, and evaluate a patient's care. Any service that could be safely done by a non-medical person (or one's self) without the supervision of a nurse is not considered skilled care.

How much does home health care cost?

Long-term care can be expensive, whether delivered in the home or in a nursing home. Depending on where you live, home care can cost up to $35,000 a year compared to more than $55,000 a year for nursing home care.

(Source: MetLife Mature Market Institute)

What is a Medicare-certified home health agency?

A Medicare-certified home health agency has met federal minimum requirements for patient care management, called Conditions of Participation, set forth in federal regulations. These agencies can therefore provide home health services that are eligible for reimbursement by Medicare.

Are the home health agencies that appear in CarePilot Medicare-certified?

Yes. All of the home health agencies that appear in CarePilot are Medicare-certified.

When deciding amongst home health agencies, what factors should I consider?

Does the information on CarePilot tell me everything I need to know about a home health agency?

Home Health Care Provider FAQ

Why should my agency participate with CarePilot?

The Internet is playing an increasingly central role in all of our lives. As the Baby Boom generation is faced with helping care for their aging parents, they will first turn to the Internet to research their options.

Currently, two-thirds of adults ages 50-64 in the U.S. use the Internet. Over the past 10 years, "Boomers" have used the Internet to manage their communication, financial, shopping, entertainment, and travel-related activities. CarePilot believes that they will also use the Internet to research, select, and connect with home health providers.

Founded by an experienced Internet entrepreneur, CarePilot will ensure that home health agencies, and the people in need of their services, will cross paths on the Internet.

Does CarePilot take advantage of what people are really doing on the Internet?

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a leading survey of consumer use of the Internet, the three most popular online activities in the U.S. are:

Email: 93%
Researching a product or service prior to purchase: 83%
Researching a major health-related topic: 80%

CarePilot incorporates elements of all three. We are harnessing the proven strengths and popularity of the Internet to deliver results for both home health agencies and individuals alike.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project survey found, that amongst other things, online health care seekers were frustrated by a lack of information for caregivers as well as a lack of ways to connect with local resources. CarePilot directly addresses both of these shortcomings.

How is CarePilot different from other patient referral services?

Unlike other patient referral services that rely on the subjective opinion of "experts", CarePilot puts the consumer in charge of his or her own research. In the spirit of successful, consumer Internet services, CarePilot empowers consumers by giving them the tools and information they need to help make informed decisions.

My home health agency is a small, local business. Are people really looking for local businesses using the Internet?

They are. According to research conducted by the Kelsey Group in 2004, 25 percent of all Internet searches have a local intent. Furthermore, online searches for local commercial information are forecast to increase approximately 33 per cent a year for the rest of this decade. By comparison, use of the printed Yellow Pages is expected to dwindle by 4 per cent annually.

What is CarePilot's Enhanced Listing Program?

Using the Enhanced Listing Program, a home health agency can provide a personalized description of its services, upload related photographs &/or logos, and secure prominent placement within CarePilot's search results. This personalized touch can help your business stand apart from the more than 8,000 home health agencies in the CarePilot database.

In order to create an Enhanced Listing, your agency must first register with CarePilot. Click here to register now.

What is the Patient Access Program?

The Patient Access Program matches patient profiles with the searches being conducted on CarePilot by our users. Once a registered user has narrowed their search to a final list of agencies, they are given the option of forwarding the profile of the care recipient they are searching on behalf of to the agencies on their final list. Thus, patient leads are directly tied to searches being conducted on CarePilot.

Below is a sample patient profile:

CarePilot Patient Referral

Name of Care Recipient: John Doe
Date of Birth: 6/30/30
Gender: Male

Address Line 1: 123 Main St.
City: Springfield
State: VA
Zip Code: 55555

Phone Number: (703) 555-1212
Diagnosis/Conditions: Post-surgery care & stroke
Insurance: BCBS

Emergency Contact Name: David Doe
Emergency Contact Relationship: Son
Emergency Contact Phone: (212) 555-1212

Additional Note: (optional)

In order to tap into this powerful tool, a home health agency must first register with CarePilot and opt-in to the Patient Access Program. Click here to register now.

What does it cost to join the Enhanced Listing & Patient Access Programs?

During the beta phase of CarePilot, all enhanced listing and patient leads are free.

If I am a Medicare or Medicaid provider can I participate in the Patient Access Program?

Yes. CarePilot is compliant with Medicare's Fraud & Abuse Anti-kickback Statutes, safe harbor provisions, and accompanying regulations pertaining to referral services.

How will you ensure that CarePilot users will not post comments about my agency that are untrue or malicious?

Upon registering with CarePilot, all of our members agree to Terms of Use which spell out the kinds of communications that can be posted to the site. CarePilot also employs moderators, as well as software, to help ensure that the guidelines for participation on CarePilot Connections are respected.

Medicare FAQ

What are the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that runs the Medicare, Medicaid, & Children's Health Insurance Program.

Will Medicare pay for my home health care needs?

Currently, more than 2.4 million elderly and disabled people with Medicare receive care from more than 8,000 Medicare-certified home health agencies throughout the United States.

Home health is covered under the Part B Medicare benefit. Medicare will help pay for your home care if:

1. You are homebound;
2. You need skilled nursing or skilled therapy services on an intermittent basis (less than seven days a week), or skilled therapy on a part-time basis (less than eight hours a day);
3. Your doctor certifies your need for care; and
4. You receive care from a Medicare-certified Home Health Agency

Issues related to Medicare-coverage can be complex. To learn more about Medicare and home health coverage, click on the following link to go to the Medicare Rights Center (MRC). Founded in 1989, MRC is the largest independent source of health care information and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare.

http://www.medicarerights.org/homecare.html

Information regarding Medicaid is also available on the Medicare Rights Center web site.

What is a Medicare-certified home health agency?

A Medicare-certified home health agency has met federal minimum requirements for patient care and management, called Conditions of Participation, set forth in federal regulations, and can therefore provide home health services that are eligible for reimbursement by Medicare.

Are the home health agencies that appear in CarePilot Medicare-certified?

Yes. All of the home health agencies that appear in CarePilot are Medicare-certified.

CarePilot Connections FAQ

Where do I create my CarePilot Connections profile?: Click on "My Account" and then click on "CarePilot Connections" to create your CarePilot Connections profile.
What name should I use as my CarePilot Connections screen name?: For privacy reasons, we advise you against using your full name as your CarePilot Connections screen name. A good rule of thumb is to use your first name followed by the first letter of your last name.
Your screen name is the username you created in "My Profile".
Do I have to upload a photograph as part of my CarePilot Connections profile?: No, you do not have to upload a photograph to create a fully-functioning CarePilot Connections profile. We do however encourage you to upload a photo of yourself as it personalizes your profile and adds to the community experience of the Connections program.
How do I find and read a discussion?: Recent questions, as well as past answers by topic, can be found on the CarePilot Connections home page by simply clicking on an area of interest.
How do I post a message to the CarePilot Community?: It's easy. Log in to CarePilot and go to the CarePilot Connections home page. Here you will find an area labeled "Submit a Comment/Question". Use the space provided for your comment/question, select a category to post it to, and click the Submit button.
How do I reply to a message posted to the CarePilot Community?: Simply click on any posting of interest and enter your comment/question in the space provided and click the Reply button.
What if I find an inappropriate post?: If you find a post that you believe is inappropriate, please bring it to our attention by contacting us.
How do I directly contact a CarePilot Connections member?: Once you have registered and created your CarePilot Connections profile, you can directly contact other members of CarePilot Connections by clicking on their profile and using the space provided for private messages.
You can locate a members Connections Profile page by clicking on the member's name next to any posting they make to the CarePilot community.
Do I have to be signed up to receive private messages from CarePilot Connections members?: Yes. Under "My Account", click on "My Profile". At the bottom of the My Profile page, you will see the settings for Communication Preferences.
How do I add a CarePilot Connections member to my list of connections?: Once you have registered and created your CarePilot Connections profile, you can add members to your list of connections using the "Add to Your Connections" button located on all members' Connections Profile pages. The member you have asked to have added to your connections then receives a message from CarePilot asking their permission to allow you to add them to your list of connections.
Members are free to accept or decline the request. Once a member accepts the request, their CarePilot username appears under your connections button on your CarePilot Connections profile page. You can initiate a private message to any of your connections by simply clicking on their username.
Do CarePilot members see my personal email when I contact them through the CarePilot web site?: Your personal email address is never shown to other CarePilot members. All messaging is facilitated using CarePilot's secure, private messaging system.
How does CarePilot's anonymized email system work?: All postings and communications on CarePilot are administered by our secure, private messaging system, thus there is no need to reveal your personal email address when posting sensitive information or communicating with home health agencies.