How to Get a Doctor to Come to Your House

Although not possible in all cases, some of our readers have had success arranging for home visits from doctors and nurses. Please comment at the bottom of this page if you have more ideas, insights or stories to add to this page. Places to get started looking:

Home Doctor Services

Many of these programs are continuing to grow to new areas. Please check to see if any are now serving more states than listed below. If you know of more places to add to this list, please comment on the bottom of this page.

• House Calls for The Homebound – New York City
• House Call Providers  – Portland Oregon
• Heal – California, DC, and Northern VA
• Visiting Physicians – FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MS, OH, TX, VA, WA, WI
• House Call – Northern VA
• American Care – Northern VA
• House Calls – Richmond VA
• MD 2 U – IN, KY, NC, OH
• Kindred Health Care – CO, OH, TX, WA
• Dispatch Health  – CO, OK, NV, TX, VA, AZ, MA, NJ, WA
• Bay Area House Calls – TX
• House Calls – Some areas of IN

Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Counselors

Many insurance companies now pay for phone, skype and video sessions with mental health practitioners. Check out this excellent directory: Find a Video Counseling Therapist 

Tips from Readers: Readers report that it may not be possible to get home counseling through Medicare, but some of our readers with Medicaid or private insurance were successful at getting this service.

More tips: Don’t limit yourself to local area. For example, for Medicaid you can find a counselor anywhere in your state.

Google

You may be able to find doctor services in your area by google words like “Home doctor visit” or “house call doctor” or “homebound” and “doctor” or and the names of your city or state.

Palliative Care

You can try calling hospice programs and palliative care programs in your area to see if they can arrange anything or if they know of local doctors that offer this service. Try googling the name of your area, plus hospice and palliative care. Some hospice programs serve people who are not end of life.

Eye Exams 

There are some online vision services that allow you to complete an eye exam and get a prescription online. Also try 1-800-Contacts, Opternative and Simple Contacts. Once you have a prescription you can order glasses inexpensively online at Zinni.

Home Health Care Programs

Under some circumstances, Medicaid, Medicare, and some private insurance will pay for home health services including: Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Nurses.

Azalea shared some great ideas on: How I Got Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy at Home

If you are on Medicare, learn more about: How to Qualify for Medicare Home Care

Note: Home Health programs sometimes also pay for home aides, but most of our readers find this to be a fairly sucky way to get home aides. You will likely be much happier if qualify for a State Home Aide Program

Medicaid – Visiting Nurses

Medicaid may provide part-time visits from nurse in your home. To qualify you must be on Medicaid, and your doctor must order the service. To find out more, talk to your doctor and contact home care agencies in your area to see if they offer this service.

Medicare – Home Nurses and Doctors

You do not need to be homebound or in a home health care program to qualify for a doctor to come to your house. You just need to find a doctor who is willing to do it and bill Medicare! Some of the links at the top of this page are services that will provide home doctors that bill Medicare. Or any doctor can do it…. if you can convince them!

Local Agencies

Places to contact to ask if they have any leads or can connect you with home doctor visits. If a places says “senior” or “elderly” contact them anyway! Many senior programs will also provide services for people who are younger:

• Area Agency on Aging
• Eldercare Locator
• Centers for Independent Living
• How to Get a Social Worker

Veterans 

The Veteran’s Administration offers a wide variety of home-based services including telecare, palliative care, primary care at home, and many other services. (Note: Ignore the word “geriatrics.” Most programs are available to younger people with disabilities).

Mental Health

Some mental health waiver programs and home care programs offer mental health support or peer support in the home. See the section on mental health on this page to Learn more.

Social Security Doctor

If Social Security wants to send you to a doctor: How to Request the Social Security Doctor Come to Your House

Attempting to Leave Your Home

If you are able to try…

• How to Go To The Doctor Without Crashing
• Programs that provide transportation
• Programs that provide home aides

Asking

Some people have had success finding a doctor by simply calling or writing local doctors until they found one willing to do a home visit.

Tip: Sometimes it’s good to write a personal letter directly to the doctor. Front desk staff are often trained to say “no” to any requests.

Tip: Readers report some doctors are more likely to be shown faxes than letters. If you are able to scan, there are online services that offer free faxing.

Other Services

Doctor on Demand provides doctor visits through an app on your phone. Takes some kinds of insurance (not Medicare or Medicaid). Here is a price list. We do not know if these visits produce medical records (not clear if it would be helpful for disability).

There are many other programs that offer services for people who are homebound or have difficulty leaving their house: How To Be Homebound

Dentists – Please comment below if you know more to add to this list: The Homeward Bound Dentist New York and New Mexico dental. In texas: www.texasmobiledentists.com

Snowdrop Gets a Home Doctor

I’m completely homebound and all my energy goes towards getting things that I need.

I have had the most luck finding home doctors by just cold-calling or emailing doctors and explaining my situation.

If they say know, I follow up with asking for recommendations. I ask if they have any colleagues who might be able to do a home visit. Many doctors belong to groups and listserves that they can post this on. I’ve also had success trying local schools and professional groups.

My regular doctor now visits my house once a year, and then does follow-up appointments by phone.

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Updated 2019. Please comment below with stories, ideas, questions or suggestions. Please let us know if any links on this page stop working.