Comparison of home health care outcomes and service use for patients with wound/skin diagnoses.

The purpose of this comparative study was to evaluate patient outcomes for wound healing and home health care service use for patients whose care was paid for by the traditional Medicare program versus a Medicare managed care organization (MCO). Results showed that there were no differences between the groups in wound healing at discharge, functional ability at discharge, or the numbers of home visits. Changes in the Medicare reimbursement system for home health care may have provided an equalizing effect between Medicare MCO and traditional Medicare patients with wound/skin diagnoses in home health care agencies in the Midwest.