Web Exclusive: Central Florida Doctors Making House Calls

Baby boomers may remember the days when doctors made house calls. Now, some people in Central Florida can enjoy that luxury again.

Certain people living in Orlando and Melbourne are part of a pilot project funded by Medicare. It arranges for doctors to make house calls on the most chronically ill senior citizens in the area.

For example, 76-year-old Nancy Smith sees Doctor Richard Powell as often as she needs to without having to set foot outside of her Orlando home. She's one of 2700 Medicare patients in this region to receive the at-home doctor house calls.

Nancy has been in the hospital and nursing homes several times in the last five years. Chronic arthritis has destroyed her joints and bones.

"I have six replacement parts," she said.

Chronically ill patients such as Nancy make up three to five percent of Medicare beneficiaries. But each year, they consume 43 percent of total Medicare costs. That's an estimated 800 million dollars. To improve care, and to see if it can save taxpayers' money, Medicare established pilot projects here, in California and in Texas.

"I just feel so fortunate that I was selected to try out this program. It's been a blessing in my life," said Smith. "I don't have to worry about administration. I don't have to worry about regulations, paperwork."

Doctor Powell says he schedules his day around his patients. He and his colleagues work for Care Level Management which provides the at-home health care service.

The program has worked so well, Medicare is inviting another 3500 local seniors to enroll.