What is HOMELINK?
HOMELINK is a Network Administrator for alternate site services and is a division of Van G. Miller & Associates, the largest management services organization in the home care industry.
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Who makes up your provider network?
Over 5,000 independent, community-based providers, which include the following services: Home medical equipment, orthotic and prosthetics, home health/home infusion, custom seating and mobility, PT/OT/ST, transportation, pharmacy and multiple specialty services.
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What advantage do we have with using HOMELINK over a national company or individual providers?
Many case managers have expressed their strong interest in using local companies versus a national chain. They voice this concern because the quality of service provided by locally owned, community-based providers is generally better than their national counterparts. HOMELINK allows you the best of both worlds: a national contract for all services, and the ability to use local companies to provide high quality service to your patients.
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What are your certification requirements?
- All of our orthotic and prosthetic practitioners are ABC certified
- All of our U.S. Rehab sm members must be NRRTS certified
- Over 75% of our home medical equipment providers are JCAHO or CHAP certified
All of our home health agencies are state licensed, with the majority of them being either Medicare certified or JCAHO accredited.
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Do you have a quality process and indicators that validate the quality?
Our quality management program meets all NCQA and URAC standards. All quality management process programs are reviewed annually to identify process improvement projects.
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How does HOMELINK handle complaints?
HOMELINK has a formalized grievance procedure to investigate all complaints, so that they may be quickly resolved to the satisfaction of the patient and case manager. A case manager should submit concerns to Sherry Gribble, Chief Privacy, Quality and Credentialing Officer at HOMELINK and copy to a designated payer representative via e-mail. HOMELINK also has personnel specifically dedicated to resolve customer service and quality control issues, which includes a Vice President of Customer Service. With over a dozen years experience in the industry, this VP will work with the patient and our local provider until the problem is resolved.
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What makes HOMELINK unique as an integrated national ancillary network?
One source and one toll-free call will provide all of your home care needs. HOMELINK represents the largest integrated ancillary network in North America.
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What information is required to place a HOMELINK order?
This will depend on the plan and the type of patient. We recognize each of our clients’ needs vary, so our system is designed to maintain maximum flexibility to accommodate these needs. Certain minimum information is required by the specific plan (e.g., patient, billing, and delivery information), and we will offer to contact, as necessary, the physician, discharge planner or patient.
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What is the HOMELINK order entry process?
HOMELINK may take orders from clients utilizing several media. These include:
- Telephone. The payer has a dedicated phone line so that calls are directed to select staff at HOMELINK.
- E-mail. Clients may obtain a “personalized” e-mail address, which immediately identifies the company. In addition, HOMELINK has introduced its AccuOrder™ system, an Internet-based catalogue program that allows case managers greater efficiencies and more detail with regard to the product(s) they are ordering. System features include automatic e-mails if the patient status changes, is HIPAA compliant, and provides case managers with real-time information.
- Facsimile. HOMELINK has a secure fax server, with processing treatment similar to e-mail orders.
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Who is responsible for determining Medical Necessity or for Pre-certifying the item ordered?
If the plan or case manager requires a prescription or Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN), the HOMELINK staff will acquire it from the prescribing physician. HOMELINK staff will call the plan for those items or services that require Pre-certification.
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What is your turnaround time for deliveries?
One of our quality surveillance tools is the referral completion time frame. Our goal is that individual referrals are completed within two hours of initiation. Urgent referrals are completed within one hour.
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What is HOMELINK’s procedure for patient Follow-up?
We have a number of mechanisms to ensure the correct equipment or service was delivered to the patient.
- For DME equipment, our follow-up department calls all patients and asks a series of patient satisfaction questions. Follow-up personnel will relay any possible negative comments back to an operations supervisor, who will contact the dealer and/or the patient to correct the situation. If the situation warrants, we will contact the case manager. We currently reach about 68% of the patients via the telephone. To those who are not successfully contacted by telephone, a questionnaire is sent via first class mail.
- Nursing follow-up is performed after each visit or on a daily basis. Nursing notes are requested from the local provider and forwarded to the case manager as often as needed.
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How often is the Case Manager contacted? Is there follow-up communication as well?
To the extent they desire, the case manager is always kept in the communications “loop” throughout the process. After a case manager calls in a referral they will receive an e-mail or fax reconfirming the order, including rates, if applicable. We send a final e-mail after the item has been delivered, and our follow-up is completed. For nursing referrals notes are faxed to the case manager on an as needed basis.
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What types of reports are available to case managers?
We provide utilization and cost savings reports to case managers on a quarterly or monthly basis. We can, however, provide reports for any time frame requested, as well as generate a client-specific report on demand.
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What is included in your specialty services?
Diabetic supplies (including insulin pumps), ostomy supplies, bone growth stimulators, CPMs, regular TENS and specialty electro-medical devices, Wound V.A.C.™/Warm Up Therapy™, wound supplies, all types of specialty beds (low air loss and bariatric), other types of bariatric products, and comprehensive respiratory supplies and services.
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Are custom seating and mobility products part of HOMELINK’s specialty services?
Yes. HOMELINK’s US Rehab network is made up of NRRTS certified companies, and can provide almost any type of special order manual or electric wheelchair, custom seating systems or other patient mobility products. All services are provided after a thorough patient evaluation by a qualified rehab specialist.
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Does HOMELINK provide Respiratory Equipment?
Yes. We arrange for the provision of all types of oxygen (concentrators, tanks, liquid), nebulizers, CPAP and BiLevel, pediatric apnea monitors, suction equipment and the supplies for all services mentioned above.
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How do you assure CPAP and BiLevel patients are compliant?
HOMELINK has a well-defined system to monitor patient utilization of this type of equipment. We contact the patient, respiratory therapist and local dealer within the first month to determine if the patient is using the equipment nightly and to assess the effectiveness. If it appears compliance is as expected, we then bill for the item.
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Does HOMELINK arrange for Wound Therapy services, equipment, and supplies?
Yes. HOMELINK is the only national network that has access to the KCI Wound V.A.C.® (Vacuum Assisted Closure™). We can also arrange for the Augustine Medical Warm-Up Therapy® system, as well as virtually any type of support surface. Supplies can be ordered through our supply division and are available the same day or via mail order for short and long term patients. We also have several providers with wound care specialists/ET nurses on staff.
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Does the contractual relationship include Ostomy supplies?
Yes.
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Do you bank TENS units?
Yes.
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Since HOMELINK works with many independent home care providers, how does HOMELINK bill?
HOMELINK will bill for all patients referred to our providers. The providers are required to bill us, and we submit the claims to the individual plan. All billing is done under the HOMELINK Federal Tax ID Number (FTIN).
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What form does HOMELINK use for billing?
HOMELINK uses a HCFA 1500 form, modified to meet each client’s needs. If information is required in specific fields, we can easily accommodate these requests.
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How have you established your prices, both billed charges and contracted rates?
Billed charges are based on national averages, developed from HIAA information, and local rates charged by our members (compiled over the last 9 years).
Contracted rates are derived from the lowest pricing we can offer, without sacrificing the quality of our service.
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Does HOMELINK charge for shipping and handling, or delivery?
Our standard policy is that all delivery is free. There may be cases when a patient needs a particular item(s) by the next day, and special ordering is required. In such cases where a premium shipping fee is requested, it will be discussed with the patient and the case manager before HOMELINK bills for it.
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What happens if a HOMELINK member bills us directly?
This occurs infrequently (in less than .5% of all referrals). If it does happen, please notify us immediately. We will address the matter with the local provider, and reiterate the procedure for handling these claims.
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Since HOMELINK uses independent subcontractors to fill patient referrals, how do you maintain such good relationships with these companies?
HOMELINK is a division of Van G. Miller & Associates (a.k.a. The VGM Group), the largest member services organization in the home care industry, with over 5,000 member locations in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada. These providers (subcontractors) are members of one or more VGM Group companies, and are very important customers to HOMELINK. In fact, the HOMELINK program was developed at their request. We regularly communicate with these providers outside of the patient referral process. This communication takes the form of weekly mailings, broadcast faxes, and e-mails.
HOMELINK attempts to give each of our providers the best business possible, and, with equal importance, we make every effort to pay them as quickly as possible. With few exceptions, provider settlement is made within one week of HOMELINK receiving payment from the plan. Accordingly, we work very hard to ensure that we are paid timely.
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