Admission Criteria, Referral Intake, and Acceptance to Service

Sets out the written criteria the Agency uses to decide whether to accept a referred patient (the ability to provide services on a timely basis and available within 24 hours unless the authorized healthcare provider specifies otherwise; the patient's and caregiver's willingness to take part in the plan of care; needs that can be met safely at home; and payer criteria), how referrals are received at all times and recorded, who decides, how capacity is checked so that no patient is accepted when the Agency cannot care for him or her, and what happens when a referral is not accepted. If the Agency is Medicare-certified, it is also the acceptance-to-service policy required by 42 CFR §484.105(i).