A 60-day period starting with SOC and ending with the last visit is known as what?

• A. 30-Day Payment Period
• B. Grooming Assessment
• C. Episode of Care
• D. Usual Status

Answer: (C)

Episode of Care is the defined window for home health services that begins at Start of Care and ends at the last visit. This 60-day period is the time frame used for organizing the patient’s care, documenting outcomes, and for billing purposes. A new episode starts if care resumes after a break or when a new Start of Care is established, while within the episode all visits and assessments occur. The other options don’t describe this timeframe: a 30-day period isn’t the standard window, grooming assessment refers to a specific type of evaluation rather than a timeframe, and usual status relates to the patient’s typical condition, not the episode length.