How do I qualify for HouseCalls?
November 13, 2003

Dear HouseCall Docs: I have recently retired to the area and was told that there is a group of medical doctors that make housecalls to senior citizens. Do you know how one qualifies for their services and how much does it cost?
Thanks, Jim, Soulsbyville, Ca.

Jim, you’re question to us couldn’t have come at a better time. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Dr. Matt Personius and Dr. Bob Uslander, local doctors who formed Sierra HouseCalls Medical Group in February, 2003 to provide medical care in the home for seniors and disabled residents of Tuolumne County. After being in practice for a number of years, we both desired to practice medicine in a more personal and efficient way. We felt that patients deserved to have better choices about how and where they received their medical care. That’s why we created Sierra HouseCalls: to give people another healthcare option that makes sense for them.

So Jim, the answer to your question is, “Yes, there are doctors making housecalls in Tuolumne County!”. Sierra HouseCalls provides both primary medical care and intermittent health care for people who have difficulty getting out of the home. These services are covered by Medicare and most Medicare supplemental insurance plans. For most patients covered by Medicare there are no additional costs, though for patients who do not have supplemental insurance there is a co-payment similar to that of an office visit. You do not need to be homebound to qualify for these visits - you only need to have some justifiable reason to be seen at home (e.g. lack of transportation, a sick, dependent spouse, chronic illness that renders you weak or unsteady, etc.). If you have a primary doctor that you want to continue seeing we can coordinate care with that doctor and see you at home when the need arises. We will make housecalls for people who don’t have Medicare, though we do not contract with other insurance companies at this time so payment for these services will need to be made by cash or check at the time of the visit. To receive more information about our practice or to schedule an at-home medical visit, please call our Patient Care Coordinor, Aimee at 209-532-4287.

If you have a medical question or would like to suggest a topic for us to cover in the future, please email your request to: askthehousecalldocs@twainhartetimes.com or mail it to Sierra HouseCalls Medical Group, 13775-A Mono Way, Sonora 95370.

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