Social Work Licensing and the Evolving Home Care Setting

Abstract

The home health care industry has recently undergone dramatic changes in Medicare reimbursement and the delivery of patient care services to the chronically ill elderly. One of the primary differences in the funding structure is that medical social services are no longer directly billable within the Medicare home health system. Many authors support the contention that social work field-educational experiences in health care are crucial in order to have a more prepared work force. Unfortunately, field practicum opportunities for social work students have been rare in the home health care industry because of the converging problems of licensing regulations and Medicare reimbursement. Although students must be supervised and monitored by a licensed social worker, there are many functions that they can perform in the home health care setting.