Novitas Solutions, Inc., Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas as well as the District of Columbia, has issued a revised physical therapy and occupational therapy local coverage determination (LCD) with an effective date of April 18, 2019. The LCD lists the most common CPT codes utilized by physical and occupational therapists and provides indications when the CPT code would be applicable to bill and supportive documentation requirements. To access the LCD, log into your Gold Member account and click

On April 5, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) regulations for calendar year 2020. In this final rule, CMS is implementing several sections of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. One of the sections CMS is implementing is Section 50323 that will allow MA plans to offer “additional telehealth benefits” as part of the government-funded “basic benefits”. Will these “additional telehealth benefits” include physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs)? Continue reading to find out.

I receive many questions concerning when is it appropriate to bill for a reevaluation to an insurance carrier. A few of the questions I receive are: Can I bill for a reevaluation for when I’m required to complete a Progress Report on a Medicare patient or for that matter, any patient? Can I bill for a reevaluation because my state practice act requires I perform a reevaluation at certain timeframes from the start of care? Can I bill a reevaluation when I’m already seeing a patient for one condition/diagnosis and while still treating that condition, they bring in a referral

UnitedHealthcare Commercial has updated their coverage determination guideline (CDG) for Habilitative Services and Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy with an effective date of February 1, 2019. This updated CDG impacts habilitative services provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. To access the updated CDG, log into your Gold Member account and click

UnitedHealthcare Commercial has updated their medical policy for Cognitive Rehabilitation with an effective date of March 1, 2019. This updated medical policy impacts cognitive rehabilitation services provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. To access the updated medical policy, log into your Gold Member account and click

Effective January 1, 2019, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists in private practice (submit claims on a 1500 claim form) are able to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for Performance Year 2019. If an individual therapist exceeds all 3 of the low-volume thresholds during both determination periods, they will be required to participate in MIPS in 2019. But what if as an individual, not one therapist in a practice exceeds all 3 of the low-volume thresholds during both determination periods, but the group does. Must the group then participate in MIPS in 2019? The answer is

First Coast Service Options, Inc, Medicare Administrative Contractor for Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, has revised their local coverage determination (LCD) for Therapy and Rehabilitation Services. To access the revised LCD, log into your account and click

Palmetto GBA, Medicare Administrative Contractor for the states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, have revised their physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy local coverage determinations (LCD’s). The effective date for the revisions for all 3 LCD’s is January 1, 2019. To access the revised LCD’s, log into your Gold Member account and click on the following titles below