Trust is the backbone of home healthcare. Patients rely on their provider to show up when they say they will. Insurance companies believe that they actually provided a refund service. Meanwhile, businesses follow their employees protocols and expect to be honest in serving their clients. But what happens when these break?
In home health care, visits may not be documented. This can often result in self-confidence erosion, reputational damage, leaving vulnerable patients uncautious. Between 2011 and 2015, an investigation by the Inspector's Office (OIG) brought accounts receivable to $975 million related to home health fraud.
There are economic consequences when businesses are caught up in fraudulent activities and face penalties, legal battles and potential losses of certification. Insurance providers will crack down on funding flows. And there is intangible damage. It has a reputation that these companies may not recover completely. For many businesses, this could be the last nail in a co.
For years, behavioral healthcare veteran Joseph Catan saw these issues unfold directly. After spending more than 15 years in the industry, he saw a clear problem. The lack of a verifiable system to confirm a home visit.
Companies struggled to follow the mandate of electronic visit verification (EVV) based on 21st century treatments. Therapists relied on outdated methods such as paper sign-in sheets. There are instances that cannot be verified from both patients and employees from both visit logging.
Katan knew there had to be a better way. This is why he founded MyVisits.net, a cloud-based EVV solution designed to protect everyone, business, practitioners and patients alike.
Home health fraud is not from unethical providers. Patients can also operate the system. In both cases, the results are the same. It's a loss of trust that damages the entire industry.
Catan recalls some cases from healthcare professionals, some cases of patients. It is attracting attention that instead of visiting homes, they run personal errands. Or therapists who submit weekly reports to patients are only to discover later that the patient has been in custody for several months. Forged signatures are also attracting attention at times. Without verification, there is no way to prove that the visit did not occur.
The problem with home health fraud is not just that. That means it has been difficult to detect up until now. myvisits.net changes it by providing objective verification on each visit. “This is not about catching a bad actor,” Katan emphasizes. “It's about protecting people doing the right thing. If you follow the rules, this system emphasizes that. And if someone isn't, it acts as a deterrent or exposes the fraud before it has lost control.”
Frauds and inefficiencies in home health care are not unique to the US. It exists all over the world. As a result, MyVisits.net is expanding to other countries. And as myvisits.net expands, its impact will only grow. The company is on its mission to bring power back to home health visits to restore trust in industries that desperately need it.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, consult a healthcare professional or provider.
