Home Based Primary Care
An essential part of our integrated Primary Care service, Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) provides need services to eligible Veterans in their home. A VA physician supervises the health care team.
What is Home Based Primary Care?
Home Based Primary Care is health care services provided to Veterans in their home. The program is for Veterans who need team based in-home support for ongoing diseases and illnesses that affect their health and daily activities. Home Based Primary Care is not the same as a home health provider.
Home Based Primary Care is a primary care team and consists of a physician, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, clinical social worker, dietitian, physical therapist, pharmacist, and clinical psychologists.
Veterans usually have difficulty making and keeping clinic visits because of the severity of their illness and are often homebound, but that is not required.
This program is also for Veterans who are isolated, or their caregiver is experiencing burden. Home Based Primary Care can be used in combination with other Home and Community Based Services.
Watch a video about Home Based Primary Care: Home Based Primary Care video on YouTube
Providing primary care in the home
HBPC is health care provided to eligible Veterans who have complex health care needs for whom routine clinic-based care visits are not feasible. A VA physician supervises the health care team. Our team teaches Veterans and caregivers about health problems, medications, healthy food choices, and more.
Call
Find out what one of our Veterans thinks in our story, A win for housebound Veterans.
Are you eligible?
Home Based Primary Care is part of the VHA standard medical benefits package available to enrolled Veterans that meet the clinical need for the service. Eligible Veterans have difficulty making and keeping clinic visits because of the severity of their illness and are often homebound, have a caregiver, and live in our service area.
Referral for HBPC evaluation does not constitute acceptance into the program. All applicants must be evaluated for appropriateness of HBPC care.
Is there a cost for this service?
A means test is used to determine cost. Learn more about health benefits updates at https://www.va.gov/health-care/update-health-information
Who do you talk to?
Your primary care provider can answer questions about your medical needs and whether or not you may be eligible for Home Based Primary Care.
Some important questions to talk about with your social worker and family include:
- How much assistance do I need for my activities of daily living (e.g., bathing and getting dressed)?
- What are my caregiver's needs?
- How much independence and privacy do I want?
- What sort of social interactions are important to me?
- Will this service cost me any money?
Service Area for Home Based Primary Care
- All of Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties
- Portions of Lancaster, Berks and Bucks counties
If you qualify
Your care plan includes:
- Primary care visits at home by a Primary Care provider.
- Home visits by a registered nurse.
- Coordination of your services by a social worker.
- Evaluation visits from a physical therapist.
- Access to mental health and consultation services from a psychologist
- Nutritional assessment and counseling from registered dietitian
- Medication management with the help of a pharmacist.
HBPC does not provide:
- Emergency care
- Daily nursing care
- Daily therapy
- Housekeeping or chore services
- Personal Care