While home health patients generally must be “homebound,” this does not mean that they must have absolutely no means to independently leave their home. Yet, this is the standard that ZPICs will often seek to impose. Some ZPICs may even try to deny payment or seek recoupment simply because a patient is able to get out of bed. However, the federal standard is clear: A patient is eligible for home health services as long as he or she must exert a considerable and taxing effort in order to leave home.