Share your healthcare knowledge while promoting your services this February. Wise Health Consumer Month is observed every February to highlight the importance of making informed health decisions. The Idea is to emphasize the fact that patients have options. The more information available to a consumer, the better choices they are likely to make.
This is a perfect time to reach out to referring physicians and reinforce the benefits of choosing home health and hospice. These agencies provide convenient quality care to patients who have limited access to transportation, are dealing with mobility challenges, or who would rather face a terminal diagnosis in the comfort of their home. They also provide self-management support which makes them not only wise choices for patients but for their referring physicians as well.
Physicians who discharge to home care agencies see improved patient outcomes, reduced rehospitalizations, and expeditious condition assessments. They can also capture additional fees when they participate in programs like transitional care management (TCM). Share your knowledge and boost referrals by promoting TCM to the physicians and qualified health providers in your area.
TMC is simply a program where by qualified health care providers can bill Medicare and Medicaid using CPT codes, 99495 or 99496, for transitioning patients and coordinating their care for 30 days after discharge from a facility. Provide your referral network with media that explain the benefits of discharging patients to home care and the ease of participating in programs like TCM.
Here are some ways to promote your services in the community while helping your neighbors become better health care consumers:
Hold classes at senior centers within your service area to address heath care confusion and how to choose a health care plan. Explain supplement options available for services not covered under Medicare. Highlight the differences between Medigap and Medicare Advantage policies. Host a lunch and learn at local places of worship to educate about preventative medicine and self- care.
Partner with local grocery stores to offer free health screenings on senior discount day. Conduct blood pressure checks and balance testing, and pass out customized patient log booklets. They are a great health care tool for patients and a great marketing tool for your agency.
Post best practices on your social media sites:
Take your time choosing a physician
Have regular wellness visits
Keep immunizations current
Build better relationships with health care providers and ask more questions
Visit the Tag Web store and chose from a variety of health topics you can incorporate into your home health and hospice marketing strategies.