This question is for the RN case managers that are paid by hour vs. per visit. How does your home health agency work in mileage with productivity?
The company I was working for said, "30 miles equals about one hour of time or one point". In the beginning it was my understanding that time spent on the road was worked into the productivity time. At the end of my time at Amedisys, I was traveling about 300-350 miles per week with a productivity time of 23. This is less than what they desired (25-30). After about 4-5 months, my clinical director flatout told me that mileage is not taken into account. So I was expected to do 5-6 points a day with at least 2 hours of driving, 30-2hours of case management(depending on the day), and paperwork catchup. I was working about 60-70 hours a week towards the end.
What is the expectation at your job regarding miles and points? Thank you for your time!
Specializes in hospital, pain management, home health.
I do not get productivity time for driving. The labor boards need to totally look into home health labor practices. They remind me of a third world country. I took my actual time I worked last week and divided it by what I made and it was $11.00 an hour. I am still working on this with letters and such to the state labor board.
~Willow
That's unbelievable! $11.00? Which state do you work in?
I consider myself a very hard worker. I was able to work here for 8 months; I had been looking for work for the last month. Something happened that broke the camel's back. There was such a buildup of crap I was experiencing that I actually quit. That is totally not my nature! It was such a hostile environment, and they kept on threatening to fire me. The list goes on and on.
I walked into a trap and now I am FREE! It's great!
Shonda:nurse:
Best wishes for you in the future. You live in such a beautiful area!!!
It is just sad that some of these companies "behave" the way tney do.
One place I had worked hourly for used to count mileage productivity by more than 150 miles per day (8hrs) would count as one point...but it never really mattered as they did not do anything if you did not hit productivity %. as long as you were close. The lack of pay for driving time is the worst part of PRN.
There should be a federal regulation: Any HHC agency not giving productivity points for driving over 15 miles between visits, lab drops, or supply and paperwork drop/pick up or to the office for meetings should be fined and/or closed.
There should be a federal regulation: Any HHC agency not giving productivity points for driving over 15 miles between visits, lab drops, or supply and paperwork drop/pick up or to the office for meetings should be fined and/or closed.
So you get paid for the drive (all time on the clock) and mileage, right?
So you get paid for the drive (all time on the clock) and mileage, right?
Productivity in Home Care on the Medicare Side works differently. You must make a certain number of visits or points per day/week. If you don't meet the expectation, you are out of a job. Some agencies pay some mileage and some don't. Some agencies are unionized, but very few and far between. Agencies do not have any regard for the number of hours you work before or after the office closes (at home) or how far you drive between patients (robbing you of your precious points).
mileage does not even cover the cost of gas......so when your car is torn up and dead that is pathetic and tragic
The federal rate isn't too bad, is it?
I guess the consensus here is, if you're going to do home health then forget payment by productivity, and look for work a job that pays hourly. I was looking at a description for a job in home health with our state Dept. of Health last week. It was hourly with mileage and hazardous duty pay available. I'm not sure where the latter came in. I also know since I was once a supervisor in a state agency that overtime is vehemently frowned upon. In fact, I've suspended someone before for putting it on her timesheets consistently. She had a job she could've knocked off at by 1700 and should've. Kudos for an eager beaver, but don't bill for it if you're doing it just to get done with stuff.
I guess the consensus here is, if you're going to do home health then forget payment by productivity, and look for work a job that pays hourly. I was looking at a description for a job in home health with our state Dept. of Health last week. It was hourly with mileage and hazardous duty pay available. I'm not sure where the latter came in. I also know since I was once a supervisor in a state agency that overtime is vehemently frowned upon. In fact, I've suspended someone before for putting it on her timesheets consistently. She had a job she could've knocked off at by 1700 and should've. Kudos for an eager beaver, but don't bill for it if you're doing it just to get done with stuff.
There are many types of home care: Medicare skilled care, Private insurance, private pay, private duty, auto, workman's comp, medicaid, mental health, etc. I believe the type of home care you are referring to would be completely different than the care provided by a skilled medicare certified agency. So we are trying to compare apples to oranges.
The federal rate might cover your gas, depending on the car you drive. If you drive 100-200 miles per day, your car will need a lot of maintenance and repair. I personally know a handful of nurses who had to leave their job after their car was destroyed. I know of a couple of nurses who were "let go" after calling the employer to state that the car had died and there was no alternative transportation to see patients that day.
So I was expected to do 5-6 points a day with at least 2 hours of driving, 30-2hours of case management(depending on the day), and paperwork catchup. I was working about 60-70 hours a week towards the end. 
shondaRN
35 Posts
To everyone that replied to my question where do you work? What is the name of your company?