Which statement best defines Start of Care (SOC)?

• A. The date of hospital discharge.
• B. The date of referral.
• C. The point when services begin in the home under a physician order.
• D. The date of the first home visit.

Answer: (C)

Start of Care is the moment skilled home health services begin in the patient’s home under a physician’s order. This date marks when the agency officially starts delivering care per the prescribed plan, and it drives the OASIS assessment, billing, and the episode of care. It isn’t simply the hospital discharge date or the date of referral. It isn’t just the moment of the first home visit on its own; what defines SOC is that services are actually underway in the home under a physician order. In practice, the first in-home visit by a qualified clinician often aligns with this start, but the essential element is that care begins under the physician’s orders.