Sec 36-151. Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "County department" means a county department of health.

2. "Department" means the department of health services.

3. "Home health services" means the items and services enumerated in this paragraph and furnished to a person who is under the care of a physician and surgeon, not including the services of a physician and surgeon. Such items and services may be furnished by a home health agency or by others under arrangements made by such agency, under a plan established and periodically reviewed by such physician and surgeon. Such items and services, except as provided in subdivision (b) of this paragraph, shall be furnished on a visiting basis in a place of residence used as such person's home and shall consist of:

(a) Part-time or intermittent nursing care provided by or under the supervision of a registered professional nurse and either physical, occupational or speech therapy, or, to the extent permitted in department regulations, part-time or intermittent services of a home health aide, and such items and services may further consist of any or all of the following:

(i) Medical social services under the direct supervision of a physician and surgeon.

(ii) Medical supplies, other than drugs and biologicals, and the use of medical appliances, while under such a plan.

(iii) In the case of a home health agency which is affiliated or under common control with a hospital, medical services provided by an intern or resident-in-training of such hospital, under a teaching program of such hospital approved as provided in paragraph 4 of this section.

(b) Any of the items and services enumerated in subdivision (a) of this paragraph, which are provided on an outpatient basis, under arrangements made by the home health agency, at a hospital or extended care facility, or at a rehabilitation center which meets such standards as may be prescribed in regulations, and under one of the following conditions:

(i) The furnishing of such items and services involves the use of equipment of such a nature that the items and services cannot readily be made available to such person in such place of residence.

(ii) Such items and services are furnished at such facility while he is there to receive any such item or service described in item (i) of this subdivision, but not including transportation of such person in connection with any such item or service. Any item or service, if it would not be included under paragraph 4 of this section if furnished to an inpatient of a hospital, shall be excluded.

4. "Inpatient hospital services" means the following items and services, furnished to an inpatient of a hospital and, except as provided in subdivision (c) of this paragraph, by the hospital:

(a) Bed and board.

(b) Such nursing services and other related services, such use of hospital facilities, and such medical social services as are ordinarily furnished by the hospital for the care and treatment of inpatients, and such drugs, biologicals, supplies, appliances, and equipment, for use in the hospital, as are ordinarily furnished by such hospital for the care and treatment of inpatients.

(c) Such other diagnostic or therapeutic items or services, furnished by the hospital or by others under arrangements with them made by the hospital, as are ordinarily furnished to inpatients either by such hospital or by others under such arrangements, excluding the following:

(i) Medical or surgical services provided by a physician and surgeon, resident or intern.

(ii) The services of a private duty nurse or other private duty attendant. Item (i) of this subdivision shall not apply to services provided in the hospital by an intern or a resident-in-training under a teaching program approved by the council on medical education of the American medical association or, in the case of an osteopathic hospital, approved by the committee on hospitals of the bureau of professional education of the American osteopathic association, or, in the case of services in a hospital or osteopathic hospital by an intern or resident-in-training in the field of dentistry, approved by the council on dental education of the American dental association.

5. "Home health agency" means an agency or organization, or a subdivision of such an agency or organization, which meets all of the following requirements:

(a) Is primarily engaged in providing skilled nursing services and other therapeutic services.

(b) Has policies, established by a group of professional personnel, associated with the agency or organization, including one or more physicians and one or more registered professional nurses, to govern the services referred to in subdivision (a), which it provides, and provides for supervision of such services by a physician or registered professional nurse.

(c) Maintains clinical records on all patients.

6. "Supportive services" or "related supportive services" means services other than home health services which may reasonably be expected to help maintain an individual in his home as an alternative to institutionalization. Such services may include, but not limited to, nutrition counseling, meals services, homemaker services, general maintenance services and transportation services.