FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES
About Our Services FOR
Patients & Families
social services/case management
SOCIAL SERVICES/CASE MANAGEMENT
The Social Work/Case Management Department
The Social Work/Case Management Department provides services to the inpatient hospital population, ambulatory settings, physician offices, and the community through collaborative practice with the healthcare team. We strive to promote patient, family, staff, and physician satisfaction through both the coordination and continuity of care from the hospital to the community.
Social Worker &
Case Management Services
The Social Work/Case Management Department at Elliot Hospital is staffed with Master Prepared Social Workers (MSW) and Registered Nurse Case Managers, who assist each person with his/her individual needs. Social Work services are available to hospital patients and the community, and include:
- Providing strategies to manage concerns regarding your physical health, social, and financial wellness.
- Helping you sort through available options that address a range of family issues, including caregiver and parenting support, addictions and counseling.
- Serving as a resource to connect you with community social services and other community agencies.
- Understanding how a change in your medical status can contribute to other worries, such as finances.
If you are facing some of these challenges, you may want to speak with a social worker to discuss your options. Social Workers are also available to educate and assist in the execution of Advanced Care Directives either while in the hospital or as a community service. There is no charge for these services. Please call our office at (603) 663-2338 if you need a social worker or wish to schedule an appointment for Advanced Care Planning.
A Case Manager is a registered nurse who reviews your care plans while you’re in the hospital. The Case Manager ensures that your care is timely and coordinated among all healthcare team members.
The Case Manager is an expert in all aspects of insurance coverage. He/she communicates with the insurance companies to review your plan of care and hospital coverage and to clarify exactly what your health care plan covers. The Case Manager will then be able to help you plan for discharge needs accordingly. Finally, the Case Manager facilitates and communicates treatment and discharge planning with you, your family and all members of the health care team.
Insurance Coverage
We encourage the community we serve to become more knowledgeable about their insurance coverage. If you are planning an upcoming hospital admission and think you may need services upon discharge such as home care or skilled nursing care/acute rehabilitation, call your insurance agency to determine your benefits are which community agencies/services they will cover. It may help make the transition less stressful for you and your family.
Medicare
If you have Medicare, you should be knowledgeable about differences in coverage if you require hospitalization. When you must stay in the hospital for care, there are two types of admissions: “Outpatient Observation” and “Inpatient.” Medicare benefits vary according to the type of admission:
Outpatient Observation
- When your doctor wants to observe you in the hospital for a short period of time, perhaps up to 48 hours, he/she may admit you as an ‘outpatient observation’ patient.
- This admission status may be used when your doctor wants to see how you are doing before deciding whether you are to be admitted as an ‘Inpatient.’
- An ‘Outpatient Observation’ admission is covered under your ‘Medicare Part B’ benefits but has some limitations.
- Medicare Part B benefits do not pay for any medications that you take or use by yourself while your stay in the hospital as an “Outpatient Observation” patient. These medications include pills, creams, inhalers and insulin (if you are a diabetic.)
- To save you money, we suggest that you ask your doctor or nurse if you can use your own medications from home if you will be taking those same medications while you are in the hospital.
Inpatient Observation
- Your doctor will register you as an “Inpatient” when you need to be in the hospital for a longer period of time, such as when you have certain types of surgery.
- Your admission status may change from “Outpatient Observation” to “Inpatient” if you require a lengthier stay than originally anticipated.
- An “Inpatient” admission is covered by your “Medicare Part A” benefits, also called “Hospital Insurance.”
- All medications are generally covered by “Medicare Part A” as of the day your admission status changes from “Outpatient Observation” to “Inpatient.”
For more information, call or write:
New Hampshire/Vermont Health Services
3000 Goffs Falls Road
Manchester, NH 03111-0001
(603) 695-7204
Toll Free in NH and VT: (800) 522-8323
Contact the Social Work/Case Management Department
Our department is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at (603) 663-2338. You can also reach a Case Manager or Social Worker on the nursing units by asking your nurse to notify us. In addition, a Social Worker is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed through the Nursing Supervisor should a critical need arise.
