How to Apply for Home Medical Care (Doctor Home Visits)? A Complete Guide to the NHI Home Medical Care Integration Program: Eligibility, Services, and Process
When elderly individuals have difficulty moving and face challenges in seeking outpatient care, 'home medical care' allows a medical team to visit them at home. This is part of the National Health Insurance (NHI) 'Home Medical Care Integration Program'—where doctors, nurses, and others provide in-home consultations, prescribe medications, draw blood, change tubes, or perform wound care. Eligible individuals are those living at home (not in institutions) who have clear medical needs assessed by a physician and have difficulty seeking outpatient care. Based on the condition, it is divided into three stages: home medical care, severe home medical care, and hospice care. It falls under 'medical care' (NHI) and differs from long-term care's 'daily living assistance.' Below is a neutral summary of eligibility, services, and application process—this is informational and not medical advice.
What is 'Home Medical Care'? Difference from Long-Term Care Home Services
First, distinguish between two types of 'in-home' services:
- Home medical care is the NHI 'Home Medical Care Integration Program,' where a medical team (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc.) provides 'medical' services at home—consultations, prescribing medications, drawing blood, changing nasogastric tubes/urinary catheters, wound care, etc.
- Long-term care home services are 'daily living assistance' (care workers help with bathing, meal preparation, companionship, etc.), covered by Long-Term Care 2.0, and are a different system from home medical care.
- The two can be used concurrently and complement each other: NHI home medical care handles medical needs, while long-term care home services handle daily living assistance.
Who is Eligible? Target Population and Enrollment Conditions
The core criteria are 'living at home, having medical needs, and difficulty seeking outpatient care':
- Care recipients must reside at home (excluding residential care institutions) and have clear medical needs assessed by a physician.
- They must have difficulty seeking outpatient care due to disability or disease characteristics (e.g., mobility issues, bedridden, requiring assistance to be transported for medical visits).
- Enrollment is determined by the care team after assessment, and in-home visits and home medical services are provided based on actual medical needs.
Three Care Stages
Based on condition and needs, the program is divided into three stages:
- Home medical care: General in-home consultations for those with difficulty seeking outpatient care and medical needs.
- Severe home medical care: In-home care for those with more severe conditions and significantly limited activity (e.g., long-term bedridden, ventilator-dependent).
- Hospice care (home hospice): For eligible terminal patients to receive symptom control and hospice care at home.
What Services Are Provided?
More can be done at home than you might think:
- In-home consultations by doctors, assessment of condition, and prescription of medications (can be coordinated with community pharmacies for delivery).
- Nursing at home: blood draws for lab tests, wound care, replacement and care of tubes such as nasogastric tubes, urinary catheters, and tracheostomy tubes.
- When necessary, connections to rehabilitation, nutrition, pharmacy, and other specialties, as well as referrals to long-term care or hospice resources.
How to Apply? Who to Contact?
Start with participating institutions near your home or the Long-Term Care Management Center:
- Contact a 'home medical care contracted medical institution' (clinic or hospital participating in the program) near your home, or ask your current hospital to evaluate and refer you.
- You can also contact the Long-Term Care Management Center (1966) in your registered area for assistance in connecting to home medical care and long-term care resources.
- Summary: For elderly individuals with mobility issues and difficulty seeking outpatient care, NHI home medical care can bring medical services home and be combined with long-term care home services. Actual enrollment conditions and service items are subject to NHIA and institutional regulations. This page provides neutral information and is not medical advice.
FAQ
What is home medical care? Will a doctor actually come to my home for a consultation?
Yes. Home medical care is part of the NHI 'Home Medical Care Integration Program,' where a medical team including doctors and nurses visits the home to provide medical services such as consultations, prescribing medications, drawing blood, changing tubes, and wound care for patients who have difficulty moving and seeking outpatient care. Eligible individuals must live at home (not in institutions) and have clear medical needs assessed by a physician with difficulty seeking outpatient care. This page provides neutral information and is not medical advice.
What is the difference between home medical care and long-term care home services?
The two are different systems and can be used concurrently. Home medical care is 'medical care' (covered by NHI), where a medical team visits the home for consultations, prescribing medications, drawing blood, changing tubes, etc. Long-term care home services are 'daily living assistance' (covered by Long-Term Care 2.0), where care workers assist with bathing, meal preparation, companionship, etc. For medical needs, seek home medical care; for daily living assistance, seek long-term care home services. The two can complement each other.
Who is eligible for home medical care enrollment?
Basic conditions: reside at home (excluding residential care institutions), have clear medical needs assessed by a physician, and have difficulty seeking outpatient care due to disability or disease characteristics (e.g., bedridden, requiring assistance to be transported for medical visits). Enrollment is determined by the care team after assessment, and based on the condition, it is divided into three stages: home medical care, severe home medical care, and hospice care. Actual conditions are subject to NHIA regulations.
What tests or procedures can be done through home medical care?
Common services include in-home consultations and prescriptions by doctors, blood draws for lab tests by nurses, wound care, replacement and care of tubes such as nasogastric tubes, urinary catheters, and tracheostomy tubes; when necessary, connections to rehabilitation, nutrition, pharmacy, and other specialties, as well as referrals to long-term care or hospice resources. Actual services provided depend on the medical facility and the patient's condition.
How do I apply for home medical care? Does it cost money?
You can contact a 'home medical care contracted medical institution' (clinic or hospital) near your home that participates in the program, or ask your current hospital to evaluate and refer you. You can also contact the Long-Term Care Management Center (1966) for assistance in connecting to services. Fees are similar to NHI outpatient co-payments and are within the NHI coverage (not fully out-of-pocket); actual co-payments and enrollment are subject to NHIA and institutional regulations.
My elderly relative is bedridden and needs nasogastric tube changes. Can home medical care help?
It can be assessed. Long-term bedridden patients who require regular nasogastric tube or urinary catheter changes, wound care, etc., are common recipients of home medical care services. You can contact a participating institution or the Long-Term Care Management Center for assessment and enrollment. It is also recommended to combine with long-term care home services for daily living needs.
· This page is a neutral compilation of information for reference only, not medical, legal, tax, or admission advice. For actual regulations and services, please refer to official announcements from competent authorities and the institutions themselves.