Home health per hour or per visit?

Specialties Home Health

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I’m making a transition to home health from SNF. What would be the best choice to get paid per hour or per visit?

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Specializes in RN, Staff Developer, ADON.

Would your pay per hour only be during visit times???

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If you work for an hourly wage then they will still expect certain productivity. I would guess so many visits in a certain period of time or a certain number based on acuity of care, allowing so much time for each level of acuity and travel time. If you are paid per hour you also should get mileage. Investigate not only how they pay but what it is based on. If paid by the visit, will they tell you how much time you are required to stay in the home for each visit? An agency once paid a PT per visit but they neglected to set it up in a structured manner. This PT started making 14-15 visits per 8 hour day and raking in the dough. Also, the agency may pay differently based on how the agency is reimbursed by the payer.

Unfortunately, I am unable to answer your question directly because there are too many variables. Try to find out more if you can.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I started off hourly and was satisfied with it. After about 4 months, I realized I could make a lot more money on ppv. The key was support from my agency as I learned the ropes.

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I make really good money with pay per visit BUT I have to really hustle, manage my time effectively, and put a lot of energy into effective scheduling. I also have really figured out the right coverage area for me and work with multiple agencies to keep a high enough patient load without having to take patients outside my area.

Hourly can work with a good agency, and can take less mental energy if they are setting your schedule and all you have to do is follow the route you are given. But with a bad agency they can way overbook your day and pay you for 8 hours even though no reasonable human can do the assigned route and documentation/ follow up calls, etc, in less than 11-12 hours.

Also, does the hourly come with benefits, and if so, what are they? That can make all the difference between which one actually pays more in the end.

Benefits are terrible at all of the agencies out here, so pay per visit as a contractor allows me to make my money up front and set aside what I need for healthcare, retirement, vacation days, etc. It’s definitely more work, not for everyone.

Even when I factor in my drive time, charting or calls done outside of my regular workday, and having to pay my own benefits, I still make 15-20% more than I could in an hourly position.

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Specializes in Home Health, OASIS Review, Home Infusion, Wounds,.

Hi,

Pay per visit has always worked really well for me, and at times you can negotiate to have extras thrown in when you discuss pay with your DON. Even if you start at a low rate per visit, as long as you present yourself well, make yourself the expert on your patients and their health situation, and remain prepared and consistent...your patients will praise you and request you. At that point, your DON will be hard pressed to retain you and that will be your time to place your request.

Most ppv agencies also pay you for your mileage as well paying the approximate amounts as below:

  • SOC - $100
  • FU/Revisits - $60
  • Recerts - $80
  • Resumption of Care - $80
  • D/C - $100, and
  • usually the state going rate for gas/mileage reimbursement.

When you are making your offer, you can ask for things such as

  • an hour of paid documentation time for each SOC, and
  • 30 min of paid doc time for each F/U, and
  • ppv increases where the going rates in Cali are close to the above.

I hope this helps. Goodluck ?

Remember, We RN this together

Trischana

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