Medicare requires both: (1) the patient needs assistance or has a condition contraindicating leaving home, and (2) leaving requires a considerable and taxing effort. Every visit reaffirms both with patient-specific evidence — not “patient remains homebound.”
Homebound paragraph
Patient remains homebound. Requires a walker for ambulation and has shortness of breath on minimal exertion (≤20 ft before requiring rest). Leaving the home requires the assistance of his wife and 30 minutes of recovery after dressing; transfer into a vehicle takes a two-person assist. Last unaccompanied outing was 3+ months ago for a medical appointment, with reported exhaustion lasting the remainder of the day.
