In Careswitch, a service defines the type of care you provide, while a policy connects a payer to that care.
Before You Start
Before setting up a service or policy, make sure you have the following:
Client profile: Confirm that the client’s profile has been created.
Payer: If the payer is a family contact or organization (such as an LTC/Guide), make sure they are listed under Contacts so they can be selected when creating the policy.
Third-party policy: For VA payors, make sure the client’s date of birth and Veteran ICN are on file. For Medicaid payers, a Medicaid ID is required instead.
Add a service to the client
Start by adding the service line you'll later attach to a policy.
Start by clicking Clients, then select the client you would like to add a service for.
In the client's profile, click the Services tab and then click Add Service (top right).
Click Add Service (top right).
Choose the service from your templates, such as Companion Care (Hourly). The template automatically applies the shift method (Hourly, Live-In, or Visit-Based), default bill rates, and care plan to the client. (Templates are managed under Settings → Workspace Services.)
If you’d like to notify specific team members about the new service, select them under Notify.
When you’re finished, click Add Service to save the service to the client’s profile.
Open the new service to finish setting it up:
Start date — Set the service start date before scheduling shifts. You can add an end date if one is known.
Bill rates — Review the rates under the service’s Rate Settings. If needed, you can override the default rate to apply a client-specific rate or discount.
Live-in policy — If this is a live-in service, select the appropriate Live-In Policy. This policy determines how the service is scheduled and how caregivers clock in and out. (this is the scheduling / clock-in policy, not the billing policy).
Stage — new services start in an early pipeline stage; move the service to Active when care is ready to begin.
Tip: A client can have multiple services, and a single policy can cover multiple services. You can also create separate policies for different payers. The easiest way to connect a payer is to create the policy directly from the service. The Policies panel will automatically attach the service to the new policy.
Next Steps:
Next, determine whether the client will use a Private Pay policy or a Third Party authorization.
For Private Pay, set up the client or contact as a payer. If they are already set up as a payer, create a policy to connect them to the client’s service. Learn more about [setting up a payer] and [creating a policy].
For Third Party authorizations, such as VA or Medicare, upload the authorization and let Careswitch build the policy for you. Learn more about [setting up a third-party policy].