Primary care that comes to you
In-home primary care in St. Louis means a primary care clinician comes to where you live, so you do not have to travel to an office. The visit deals with what an office visit would: long-term conditions, medications and new problems that are not emergencies.
Gateway clinicians provide the medical care, and our coordination team handles scheduling, records, orders and follow-up. The treating clinician assesses your health and directs your care. This page is part of the primary care section.
Who house call primary care helps
Home visits make the most sense when getting to an office is hard enough that care gets skipped. That often describes:
- Adults who are homebound, or close to it. See primary care for homebound adults.
- People living with a wound. Travel can be painful, and the conditions behind the wound need attention too.
- People just home from a hospital or rehab stay. The first weeks bring new medications and follow-up that is easy to miss.
Family caregivers can be in the room and hear the plan firsthand. You do not need to fit a formal definition to call; our guide to what homebound means for care at home explains the word.
What a home visit can cover
The treating clinician decides what each visit includes. In general, a primary care house call can include:
- A review of your health history and current concerns, with an exam and vital signs
- A medication review that compares what is prescribed with what you take
- Follow-up for long-term conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease
- Orders for lab work, imaging or equipment when the clinician decides they are needed, plus specialist referrals
- Preventive care and, if you want it, a conversation about future care
People with more than one long-term condition can also ask about chronic care management, which adds check-ins between visits.
Mobile primary care in St. Louis
People who search for mobile primary care in St. Louis usually mean one thing: a clinician who travels to the patient instead of the patient traveling to an office. Gateway arranges that with Gateway clinicians for private homes, assisted living and memory care communities, skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers across Greater St. Louis and the Metro East.
Mobile primary care covers the same ground as an office visit where it can. What changes is the setting. A living room cannot replace a hospital or a specialty office, so when you need imaging, a procedure or a specialist, the clinician will say so and Gateway helps with scheduling, records and transportation arrangements. Visit availability is confirmed by location and care setting, and we never promise a visit time.
Visits may be made by a physician, a podiatrist (DPM), a nurse practitioner or a nurse, depending on the patient’s needs. A podiatrist’s visit is limited to diabetic foot checks and the assessment and care of foot wounds and ulcers. A nurse practitioner is not a physician, and we describe each visit by the kind of clinician who makes it. Ask who will visit when you call, and what that clinician can and cannot do at home.
Mobile primary care is planned care. It is not urgent care or an emergency service, and you cannot count on it for an immediate response. It is also not home health. Gateway does not provide home health services. If a home health agency already visits you, we work with your home health agency so the orders and notes line up.
If you are still comparing ways to get medical care without going to an office, the guide to mobile medical care options in St. Louis sets out the differences, including telehealth and facility-based care. You can also call us with questions at 314-325-0126.
House call primary care for seniors
Older adults are the people most likely to ask about house calls, and for good reason. Getting ready, arranging a ride, waiting in a crowded room and getting back home can take more energy than the appointment itself. When that effort leads to skipped visits, small problems with blood pressure, blood sugar, mood, memory or balance can grow unnoticed for months, and a minor change can become a crisis that sends someone to the emergency room.
A house call makes care easier to keep up with. The clinician sees the home: the stairs, the bathroom, the medicine cabinet and the kitchen. That often turns up things an office visit would miss, such as duplicate bottles, expired prescriptions or a rug that invites a fall. Our page on mobility and fall risk explains what clinicians look for. None of this replaces an exam; it gives the treating clinician a fuller picture of how you live and what supports you need.
Seniors often benefit from these parts of primary care at home:
- A yearly annual wellness visit focused on prevention and planning
- A medication review, which matters more as the number of prescriptions grows
- Follow-up after a hospital or rehab stay
- Conversations about memory, mood and planning for future care, raised in a familiar place
Adult children often start the process, sometimes from another city, and a senior may feel more at ease when a daughter, son or friend is in the room to help recall details and ask questions. A family member can make the first call, be present for visits and receive updates if the senior agrees. You decide who is included. Our page on house calls for seniors in St. Louis is written for older adults and their families, and the page for families and caregivers explains how to get started on someone else’s behalf.
How primary care connects with wound care
Blood sugar, circulation, swelling and some medications affect how a wound behaves. The wound care clinician focuses on the wound, and the primary care clinician looks after the conditions around it. If you first came to Gateway for mobile wound care, Gateway helps the two clinicians stay in contact. See primary care and wound care together and diabetes care at home.
Existing physicians, facilities and hospital stays
If you want to keep a physician you trust, say so when you call. With your permission, visit notes and questions can go to that office, and it helps to agree early on who handles refills, forms, referrals and test results. If you have no primary care clinician, see finding a primary care clinician.
In assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing, the visiting clinician works alongside the nursing staff. See primary care in assisted living and the service area page for communities on both sides of the river.
After a hospital or rehab stay, new prescriptions may overlap with old ones. A home visit lets a clinician compare medication lists and discharge papers. See follow-up care after hospital discharge. Case managers can refer a patient.
Coverage and cost questions
You can ask us about Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial plans. Whether a home visit is a benefit, and what you might owe, depends on the treating provider, your plan and the care you need. Useful questions:
- Does the treating practice participate in my plan?
- Does my plan require a referral or prior authorization for home visits?
- What might I owe for a visit, lab work or equipment?
The insurance page has a longer list.
When a house call is not the right choice
In-home primary care is planned care, not an emergency service. Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke (a drooping face, weakness in one arm, slurred speech), heavy bleeding that will not stop, fainting or sudden confusion. For worrying changes that are not emergencies, such as a new fever or worsening swelling, contact the treating clinician’s office, and ask at the first visit how to reach it.
How to start
- Call 314-325-0126, or send a request for care. The form asks only for your name and phone number, so please leave medical details out.
- We call you back about where you live, what help you need and who is already involved.
- We discuss whether care at home or a partner-clinic appointment fits your needs.
- We gather records, with your permission, and schedule the visit.
- After the visit, we follow through on the clinician’s orders and keep chosen people informed.
For a first visit, gather your medication bottles, insurance cards and questions. The guide to what to expect from a house call walks through the visit.
Common questions
Do I need a referral for in-home primary care?
No referral is needed to contact Gateway. You, a family member or a caregiver can call directly. Some health plans have their own referral or authorization rules for home visits, so we go over that with you before a visit is scheduled.
Do I have to be homebound to get a house call?
Not to ask. Homebound is a term some programs and plans use with specific rules, and it is easy to misjudge whether it applies. Tell us how hard it is to leave home. The treating practice and your plan determine what applies.
Can I keep my current primary care doctor?
Yes, you can ask for that. A visiting clinician can work alongside a long-time physician, and with your permission notes go to that office. Ask both offices who will handle prescriptions, referrals and test results.
How often will the clinician visit?
The treating clinician sets the visit schedule based on your health, and it can change as your needs change. Someone just home from the hospital may need closer follow-up than someone whose conditions are steady. The plan is reviewed as your needs change.
Will my insurance pay for primary care at home?
It depends on the treating provider, your plan and the care you need. Ask which practice would see you, then confirm participation and likely costs with your plan before the first visit.
Can a family member set up the visit and be there for it?
Yes. A son, daughter, spouse or friend can make the first call and can be present during the visit if you want them there. You decide who is included and who receives updates, and you can change that at any time.
Related pages
General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.