Who Pays
The Hourly Invoice Counts Minutes You Did Not Plan: What to Check Before You Pay
An hourly bill for in-home help turns on the minimum visit, the travel line, and the cancellation rule, so read those three before the first hours are worked.
Hourly in-home help is usually billed in a way that feels fair until the first invoice arrives. The number at the bottom is the sum of several rules, and most of them are written in the paperwork you signed without reading closely. Before the first visit, ask the agency for a sample invoice and a copy of the rules that produce it.
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The minimum visit
Ask how short a visit can be billed. Some agencies set a minimum number of hours for each shift, so a one-hour errand can be billed as three. Ask whether that minimum applies to every visit or only to the first one of the day, and whether it changes on weekends or holidays.
How minutes are rounded
Ask whether time is billed to the minute, to the quarter hour, or to the half hour, and whether it is rounded up or to the nearest step. Over a month, rounding can add more than the hours you thought you were buying. Check a week of timesheets against the invoice to see whether the two agree.
The travel line
If the aide has to drive to your house, find out whether that drive is billed as paid time, billed as a flat fee, or not billed. Ask whether mileage or parking appears as a separate line. If you ask the aide to run an errand, ask whether the errand time is billed at the same rate as the care time.
The cancellation rule
Find out how much notice you must give to cancel a visit without a charge. Ask whether a late cancellation is billed in full, billed partly, or billed at all. Ask what happens if she is hospitalized during a booked week, and whether the hold on the schedule is billed. Get the answer in writing, because this is the line most often disputed later.
Who signs the timesheet
Decide who checks each week's hours against what was actually worked. Name that person, and make sure it is not someone who was out of the house that day. Keep the signed timesheets with the invoices.
When to ask for help reading the paperwork
If the agreement is long or the terms are unclear, ask the agency to explain them in plain words, and ask for the answers in writing. You can also check the options on Local Help for Husband Caregivers. This page is not a review of any contract, and it does not give legal advice. It is a checklist of the questions to ask before you sign and the lines to compare on the first bill.