Many Medicare beneficiaries and their advocates have complained that the program’s definition of "homebound" for the purpose of determining eligibility for home health benefits are overly restrictive and unreasonable. But Congress modified the rules by passing the Beneficiary Improvement and Protection Act in 2000. Now HCFA has issued a transmittal officially clarifying the definition of "homebound."

The old rules stated that an individual would only be considered "homebound" if his or her absences from the home were infrequent or of relatively short duration, or were attributable to the need to receive medical treatment.

The clarified language slightly expands the list of circumstances in which a "homebound" individual may be absent from the home. Now, a home health beneficiary will not be disqualified for

• Any absence attributable to the need to receive health care treatment, including regular absences for the purpose of participating in therapeutic, psychosocial, or medical treatment in a licensed or certified adult day-care program;
• Any absence for the purpose of attending a religious service; or
• Any OTHER absence that is infrequent or of relatively short duration.