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Partners in Caring
The Family Choice Program is offered by Independent Health to its members who are enrolled in the Medicare Family Choice Plan and who are long term care residents in IHA contracted nursing facilities that participate in the Family Choice Program. The program provides visits as often as weekly by specially trained Nurse Practitioners who work closely with the member's physician, facility staff, and family. Family Choice Nurse Practitioners work collaboratively with the member's current IHA-credentialed participating physician.
Program Goals
The program's goal is to provide as many Medicare services as possible in the member's home--the nursing facility. Working closely with facility staff and physicians, we emphasize comprehensive primary care through frequent assessments, early intervention and preventive services. By responding promptly to members' needs we are able to achieve the best possible clinical and functional outcomes with improved efficiency when compared with traditional Medicare services.
Responsiveness
A Family Choice Nurse Practitioner is on call 24 hours a day seven days a week including after hours, weekends and holidays, to respond to both routine and urgent calls from nursing facility staff, members and/or their families.
The Family Choice Care Coordinators
Supporting physicians, nursing facilities and our Nurse Practitioners, Family Choice Care Coordinators arrange for timely consults, procedures, and other required off-site services for members. At the request of the Nurse Practitioner, they also schedule and coordinate transportation when necessary.
Social Services
The Program includes social workers who are available to assist members and/or their families, physicians, Nurse Practitioners and nursing facilities with particularly difficult and time consuming member and/or family psychosocial issues, especially those occurring near the end of life.
How Nursing Facility Members Join Family Choice
To enjoy the benefits of the Family Choice Program, a nursing facility resident must be eligible for Medicare Part A and B, must not have End Stage Renal Disease and must enroll in Independent Health's Medicare Family Choice Plan. He or she must also choose to receive primary medical care from an IHA network provider who has chosen to participate in the Family Choice Program.
For residents enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid there is no additional cost to the member for the Family Choice Program.
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