Top Diagnosis

you need to employ some PT's and target the ortho docs

Without the gamut of therapists, any patients you see who have therapy needs (which will likely be mostof them) will need to be referred to an agency that can meet all of their identified needs. Therapy also accounts for a large part of your reimbursement and if you can't provide that, you are missing out. Once you have PT, OT, ST in place, also target neurologists for s/p CVA, Parkinsons, etc; cardiologists for the CHFers; pulmos for the COPDers, etc. You are very limited without the ability to provide therapy.

Without the gamut of therapists, any patients you see who have therapy needs (which will likely be mostof them) will need to be referred to an agency that can meet all of their identified needs. Therapy also accounts for a large part of your reimbursement and if you can't provide that, you are missing out. Once you have PT, OT, ST in place, also target neurologists for s/p CVA, Parkinsons, etc; cardiologists for the CHFers; pulmos for the COPDers, etc. You are very limited without the ability to provide therapy.

Would you suggest, or anyone else for that matter, that we employ a therapist prior to our Medicare certification? We thought it was better to employ therapists after certification to avoid any additional work prior to our survey. Its definitely something we plan to do but we thought it best to add therapy services after.

Gosh, go for the pediatricians. Provide nurses to do extended care for kiddies with vents, trachs, GTs, cerebral palsy, birth anomalies, victims of MVAs, etc. You will have cases out the door and around the block if you target these types of cases. For that matter, you can get the adult version of people who are homebound with vents, etc.

The age range for our patients is currently 18-x. Are there stringent requirements that we would need to adhere to in order to see minors?

I would not suggest to anyone to try to run an agency without therapists. If you take on a patient who has identified therapy needs and then do not cover that need, you are out of compliance with CoPs and will not meet your survey requirements. If you are only trying to make it simpler for yourself, I suggest that you invest in a really good consultant who has experience with start-ups who can offer you the most current and legal advice. Trying to do it yourself and asking for assistance from message forums is probably not your best route, sorry to say.

Yes, I completely understand. I just find that the advice in forums will get me in the right direction as there are years of experience behind the advice. Thank you!