I got a call the other day asking if I wanted a Dr. to visit me at home

VintageBetter

Senior Member
I have no idea is they meant an in-person visit, or by Zoom, but it sounded an awful lot like they meant in-person. What the heck is that about? I was busy so I didn't hang up, call my insurance, and tell them to stop wasting money on employing agents to call us like we're all 90! But I was too busy.

What is that about? It has to be about money somehow. Maybe they are trying to find a way to make doctors and nurse practitioners "work from home", or employ them as 1099 employees and pay them PER DIEM as they visit patients at home?

I'll bet that's it - I'll bet they are going to employ new doctors the way DoorDash and GrubHub employ delivery people: as 1099 employees, paid not a salary or even a wage, but paid per patient visit.

Maybe I'm just being old and cynical, but the DoorDash and GrubHub models for running companies are very attractive to some CEOs. If someone is a 1099 employee the employer does not have to pay their medical insurance, doesn't have to pay into Workman's Com or State Disability insurance. Doesn't have to give them any perks like Sick Days and certainly no accrued Vacation Days.

Are there some medical workers who would take that deal to do home visits only? IDK.
 

I’m curious if you have a Medicare advantage plan or regular Medicare with a supplement plan? Locally there’s a mobile urgent care doctor that will come to your home if you are sick.
 
I got a message on my phone saying ; Our records show you are eligible for a Health Assessment. This preventative health check gives us an opportunity to discuss your health needs, identify any factors that could help improve your overall health or prevent illnesses. I see my GP every 2 months to discuss these very same issues. Maybe they are trying to drum up more business?
 

I've received those calls as well, home visits for health assessments My take is it's a third party organization milking money out of Medicare or your advantage plan.

I wonder if after an assessment the information would ever get back to your GP or become part of your medical record. If yes then I could see it as a good service for homebound individuals. If no then it's a waste or a scam.
 
I am always VERY suspicious of calls like that - ones I didn't initiate. I had a call like that a few years ago and I was non-committal and finally told the woman I did NOT need any at-home help. I wrote down the number from my phone THEN, I called my medical group. They put me in touch with their At-Home coordinator who said "IT WAS NOT US"! They only reach out if we had asked for it.

Be very aware of SCAMS! I figured this person was just coming to "case the joint" before cleaning me out.

In-Home help IS available but ONLY IF YOU ASK FOR IT! I have friends who use it and love it. Its not for me, to have strangers in my house. However, I did have a Physical Therapist visit after my knee surgery but that was arranged BEFORE the surgery. All went well. He worked with my husband's hips, my neighbor and both my knees. But we asked for the help. Be carefull!
 
@Teacher Terry Yes, I have a MA plan, as many do. If there is such a thing as a mobile unit I have not received any emails or notifications of it.

I don't live in a rural area. A mobile unit might be great there but I'm literally 10 minutes from my doctors.
 
I am always VERY suspicious of calls like that - ones I didn't initiate. I had a call like that a few years ago and I was non-committal and finally told the woman I did NOT need any at-home help. I wrote down the number from my phone THEN, I called my medical group. They put me in touch with their At-Home coordinator who said "IT WAS NOT US"! They only reach out if we had asked for it.

Be very aware of SCAMS! I figured this person was just coming to "case the joint" before cleaning me out.

In-Home help IS available but ONLY IF YOU ASK FOR IT! I have friends who use it and love it. Its not for me, to have strangers in my house. However, I did have a Physical Therapist visit after my knee surgery but that was arranged BEFORE the surgery. All went well. He worked with my husband's hips, my neighbor and both my knees. But we asked for the help. Be carefull!
Yeah. THIS. That's what I'm concerned about too. I should call my M.A. and see if it was them.

Is this what our lives will be until we die? Always in constant Police Mode, trying to decide who is really there to help vs. the ones who want to hurt us? Many young adults truly see Seniors as nothing but an easy mark, no matter how nice or kind you are, and even if you see and validate their pain over how life is now, they still see us as Prey.
 
I got a message on my phone saying ; Our records show you are eligible for a Health Assessment. This preventative health check gives us an opportunity to discuss your health needs, identify any factors that could help improve your overall health or prevent illnesses. I see my GP every 2 months to discuss these very same issues. Maybe they are trying to drum up more business?
No idea what is going on for the posters in USA - but I see you are in Australia

If you are over 75, this is a standard Medicare funded item - home assessments, usually by the practice nurse, can be done annually, and the nurse will spend much longer with you than a standard Dr's consult visit.
Will probably check your blood pressure and then go through things like are you up to date with relevant vaccines, screening tests ( eg Bone density, blood tests, optomitrist etc ) medication management, nutrition, dental care, continence, home safety, do you need home help, or a personal alarm,or other services, do you have an advanced care directive

Of course nobody has to have one if they don't want to - but it is standard practice of GP surgeries to offer this.
 
I would have also said no. I don’t answer any calls that aren’t in my contacts. I can see it being a nice service after you have surgery or the doctor that comes to your house as an urgent care. My friend used them and said it was better than sitting in urgent care with a bunch of sick people.
 
I got one the other day and told them to call back since we are on vacation. Its my insurance company and not related to Medicare or Medicaid.
Its more about them saving money in the long run by evaluating you and your home environment. I had to have a visit from them the day after being released from the hospital.
 
To add to this trend is the implementation of "intelligent automation". Put that in the mix, and watch the competition to provide us with health care skyrocket! The whole capitalist business model of maximize profits is going to put us all in the poor house or die waiting for our needed health care. OR it will lower the cost, and provide us with quick care for our exact needs. It's like scrambled eggs right now, and feels like a total mess.

intelligent automation is increasingly becoming a part of the healthcare industry. Automation can help improve patient care, streamline administrative tasks, and enhance operational efficiency. Examples include AI-powered diagnostic tools, automated patient scheduling systems, robotic process automation for claims processing, and chatbots for virtual health assistance. These technologies can help healthcare providers save time, reduce costs, and improve overall patient experiences.
 
Possibly some criminal who wants easy access to your home? I don’t know. I do know that my insurance company did NOT WANT to pay to have to send a physical therapist to my home years ago.
 
"...eligible for a Health Assessment."

I hate these calls too.

I did some research a while back, and as near as I can tell, all they are, are (various companies) hired by the Insurance company to do these for 'risk management' purposes, or for projecting estimated profits and losses for the present year. Personally, I think it's an invasion of privacy and breach of your personal health information, which is actually against the law! They underhandedly make you think you are getting a special service, because...well, you're special, playing on the fact that a lot of people would like to have home health care. Very deceitful in my opinion. I usually block their calls.
 
Aetna Medicare offers a free at home visit from a nurse. I did it one time after which a summary was mailed to me. I have refused every year since. I found it to be a waste of time since I visit my PCP at least three times a year as well as my specialists. My PCP never spends less than 45 minutes with me, so I have plenty of time to ask questions, express concerns plus he reviews my lab work and explains what each result of concern means. I've never been offered a visit by a doctor but maybe different plans offer that.
 
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Here we have nurse practitioners who make house calls. It’s free of charge but an application has to be approved first. It’s also not a service offered to every province
Toronto has a FREE service that is covered by OHIP that sends a Doctor to your home in non emergency cases, the same day. Hours are 7 am to 11 pm seven days a week. Who is covered ? Every one who is either a Canadian citizen, or a Permanent Resident, who resides in the Province of Ontario. Other cities and towns in Ontario also have similar free services.

The Toronto Paramedic Service also has a similar service for elderly persons who are unable to get out to see a doctor or attend a clinic. The Paramedics are graduates of a 2 year program at one of the Ontario Colleges of applied arts and technology with 1400 hours of training in emergency medicine. Each Paramedic pair spends one week out of every two months doing this 5 days a week "home call " service as a break from doing emergency calls. It is a way to reduce the stress levels they work under.
 
I used to wish the doctors either asked their patients some pertinent questions or had visited their patients at home. Giving a person a bowel prep who has to use an outhouse is just cruel.
 
If the phone rings when we are in I'll pick it up and if it's a number I don't recognise or using an area code which isn't our one then I will not speak. If it is a human or someone wanting to converse with us they'll speak first on hearing a silence....if it is a scammer I have discovered that these calls are voice activated so if I don't speak the call automatically ends after a few seconds.
 


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