Home Health & Hospice Week

Warning: Don't count on visit range. Are you confused about when to have therapists conduct the new reassessment visits when multiple therapy disciplines are furnishing services? You're not alone. That was a big area of confusion in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed rule about the new therapy requirements, based on comments CMS received. In the 2011 PPS final rule published in the Nov. 17, 2010 Federal Register, CMS clarifies when agencies should have therapists conduct the reassessments. Unfortunately, when multiple therapy disciplines are involved in an episode, a therapist from each discipline must conduct a reassessment, CMS spells out in the final rule. "The policy applies to each discipline separately," the agency explains. "The patient's function must be initially assessed and periodically reassessed by a qualified therapist of the corresponding discipline for the type of therapy being provided (that is, PT, OT, and/or SLP)." Visit timing: "When [...]