How it works
A unit of service is a fixed block of time, usually 15 minutes for personal care, homemaker and respite codes. The payer pays a rate per unit, so the rounding rule decides how many minutes of a visit you can bill.
The four rules
- 8-minute threshold: units = whole units + 1 if the remainder is at least half a unit. With 15-minute units: 0 to 7 minutes = 0 units, 8 to 22 = 1, 23 to 37 = 2, 38 to 52 = 3.
- Nearest whole unit: units = round(minutes / unit size), halves rounded up. For whole minutes and 15-minute units this gives the same answer as the 8-minute threshold; with other unit sizes it can differ.
- Round down: units = floor(minutes / unit size). Only complete units are billed; 29 minutes is 1 unit.
- Round up: units = ceil(minutes / unit size). Any part of a unit counts; 16 minutes is 2 units. Few public payers allow this, so check before you use it.
Per visit or per day
Rounding each visit separately and adding the day first give different totals when a client has several short visits. Two 7-minute visits are 0 units each, but 14 minutes in a day is 1 unit. Your payer's manual says which one applies.
Billable amount = units x rate per unit. Read the full guide: How to bill 15-minute units.