Housecalls, a new home-based service offered by Lumina, provides an accessible way for patients to receive primary care when it is nearly impossible or unsafe to leave their home for routine medical care. Under the Housecalls service, visits, tests, medications, vaccinations, and other routine treatments are covered by insurance, as would be when visiting the doctor’s office.
Is Housecalls right for me?
Housecalls is designed for homebound patients, meaning it takes considerable effort and is taxing to leave the home for any reason, including receiving ongoing medical care. Currently, Housecalls is available to residents of Benton County who have health insurance (private, Medicare, Medicaid, or IHN) and reside specifically in Corvallis, Philomath, Adair and North Albany.
Dr. Helen Kao is board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Hospice & Palliative Care. For Housecalls subscribers, Dr. Kao will become the patient’s Primary Care Provider, making visits to the home to attend to routine medical needs.
There are many benefits of utilizing the Housecalls service, including being under the care of Dr. Helen Kao and the accessibility of home visits, for both the patient and caregiver. As it is a fee-based service, participating patients will be able to access this care by easily making payments online or sending to the Lumina office.
Clinic-based primary care | Lumina Housecalls | |
Physician certification. | Internal Medicine or Family Medicine | Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Palliative Care |
Routine care and chronic care management. | ✓ | ✓ |
Access to same-day or next business-day visits for urgent needs. | ✓ | ✓ |
Physician with fellowship training and extensive experience caring for patients with dementia, complex medical conditions, and frailty in the home. | ✓ | |
Primary physician visiting at your home, offering uninterrupted and dedicated time to your care and concerns. | ✓ | |
Housecalls nurse visit at your home as directed by the doctor for lab draws, wound care, urine collection, or medication teaching. | ✓ | |
Web portal to message your doctor. | ✓ | ✓ |
Confidence your doctor will know not only details of your medical conditions but your living situation and family/caregiver support. | ✓ |
If you feel that our services might be right for you or a loved one, call us. We can help.
Read Our FAQs
What is the membership fee?
Eligible individuals who agree to switch their primary care to Housecalls are considered enrolled in services with payment of a monthly subscription fee. Individuals who receive Medicaid are exempted from the monthly subscription fee. One of the intake coordinators will be able to discuss the fee upon inquiry and qualification to participate.
What does home-based medical care mean?
Home based medical care is care brought to you at your place of residence (private home, assisted living, memory care, adult foster home). For individuals who are homebound, home-based care provides better quality care than clinic- or virtual-only care. Home-based care also helps relieve patients and families from the stresses, physical demands, and financial burdens of arranging wheelchair and gurney transport for routine medical care.
What are the membership requirements?
To qualify for Housecalls, a patient needs to be homebound, meaning they are not physically able to safely and comfortably leave the house on a routine basis. Patients confined to the home are often living with multiple chronic conditions, advanced illness, and/or complex medical and psychosocial needs.
Eligible individuals who agree to switch their primary care to Housecalls are considered enrolled in services with payment of a monthly subscription fee. Individuals who receive Medicaid are exempted from the monthly subscription fee.
What does membership include? Do I have co-pays?
Housecalls membership provides the same level of care as you would have with a clinic-based primary care provider. If you currently have a co-pay when visiting a primary care provider, you will have a co-pay with a Housecalls visit.
A membership provides primary care visits from a physician board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care with access to a same-day or next-business-day visit for urgent medical needs, adequate time with the doctor, with options for extended visits when needed. A Housecalls nurse visit may be directed by your doctor for lab draws, wound care, urine collection, or medication teaching. Your doctor will also coordinate your care with other services as indicated (specialists, pharmacist, skilled home health care, hospice care, adult day care, case managers).
Do you accept health insurance?
The membership fees are not covered by health insurance, nor does Lumina Housecalls accept uninsured or self-pay patients. Individuals who receive Medicaid are exempt from the monthly subscription fee.
For home visits made by Housecalls, Lumina will submit claims for physician services to patients’ health insurance provider, including Medicare, Medicaid, and any secondary insurance before we bill the patient, just as if the patient were visiting the doctor in-person.
What does it cost? How do I pay?
Housecalls membership is based on a monthly fee and can be paid online, or by check sent to the Lumina office. An intake coordinator will confirm eligibility and membership fees in an initial conversation with the patient and/or the caregiver.
Do I keep my PCP?
As a member of Housecalls, Dr. Kao will be your primary care provider. You must be willing to transfer your primary care to Housecalls when you enroll.
Do I still go to the doctor for tests, labs, etc.?
In your initial visit, Dr. Kao will review which tests can be administered in your home, and which may still need to be accessed by going to a doctor’s office. The Housecalls doctor may direct a nurse to come to your home for lab draws, wound care, urine collection, or medication teaching.
How often can I use Housecalls?
Housecalls is available just as you would access a clinic-based primary care provider. You will have routine visits with access to same-day or next-business-day visits for more urgent medical needs as indicated.
How do I get started?
There is limited capacity in the program at this time. As we build the program, we will be able to grow participation in a way to assure we are providing the quality level of service needed for each patient.
If you are interested, the first step to getting started with Housecalls is demonstrating interest by sending an email or calling 541-257-5904. One of the Lumina team members will ask screening questions to determine if your eligibility for the program.
Call to learn more about Housecalls.
If you think Housecalls might be right for you or your loved one, or if you have questions about the referral process, please call us at 541.257.5904.