Part I
Outpatient Physical Rehabilitative Services

12VAC30-130-10. Scope

A. Medicaid covers outpatient physical rehabilitative services provided in outpatient settings. Services may be provided by acute and rehabilitation hospitals, by school divisions, by home health agencies, and by rehabilitation agencies which have a provider agreement with the Department of Medical Assistance Services.

B. Physical therapy and related services shall be prescribed by a physician and be part of a written plan of care that is personally signed and dated by the physician prior to the initiation of rehabilitation services. The physician may use a signature stamp, in lieu of writing his full name, but the stamp must, at a minimum, be initialed and dated at the time of the initialing within 21 days of the order.

C. Any one of these services may be offered as the sole rehabilitative service and is not contingent upon the provision of another service.

D. All practitioners and providers of services shall be required to meet State and Federal licensing or certification requirements.

E. Covered outpatient rehabilitative services for short-term, acute conditions shall include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology services. "Acute conditions" shall be defined as conditions which are expected to be of brief duration (less than 12 months) and in which progress toward established goals is likely to occur frequently.

F. Covered outpatient rehabilitative services for long-term, nonacute conditions shall include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services. "Nonacute conditions" shall be defined as those conditions which are of long duration (greater than 12 months) and in which progress toward established goals is likely to occur slowly.

G. All services shall be specific and provide effective treatment for the patient's condition in accordance with accepted standards of medical practice; this includes the requirement that the amount, frequency, and duration of the services shall be reasonable.

H. Rehabilitative services may be provided when all the following conditions are evidenced:

1. There is potential for improvement in the patient's condition or the patient has reached his maximum progress and requires the development of a safe and effective maintenance program;

2. There is motivation on the part of the patient and caregiver;

3. The patient's medical condition is stable; and

4. Progress toward goal achievement is expected within a reasonable time frame consistent with expectations for acute conditions and nonacute conditions.

I. Continued rehabilitation services may be provided when there is documentation of a positive history of response to previous therapy or evidence that a change in patient potential for improvement has occurred, or that a new or different therapeutic approach may effect a positive outcome.

J. Rehabilitative services shall be provided according to guidelines found in the Virginia Medicaid Rehabilitation Manual and in the Virginia Medicaid School Division Manual.

12VAC30-130-20. Physical therapy.

A. Services for individuals requiring physical therapy are provided only as an element of hospital outpatient service, nursing facility service, home health service, rehabilitation agency service; by a school division employing qualified physical therapists; or when otherwise included as an authorized service by a cost provider who provides rehabilitation services.

B. Effective July 1, 1988, the Program will not provide direct reimbursement to enrolled providers for physical therapy service rendered to patients residing in long-term care facilities. Reimbursement for these services is and continues to be included as a component of the nursing facilities' operating cost.

C. Physical therapy services meeting all of the following conditions shall be furnished to patients:

1. The services shall be directly and specifically related to an active written treatment plan designed and personally signed and dated (as in 12VAC30-130-10 B) by a physician after any needed consultation with a physical therapist licensed by the Board of Physical Therapy; and

2. The services shall be of a level of complexity and sophistication, or the condition of the patient shall be of a nature that the services can only be performed by a physical therapist licensed by the Board of Physical Therapy, or a physical therapy assistant who is licensed by the Board of Physical Therapy and is under the direct supervision of a physical therapist licensed by the Board of Physical Therapy. When physical therapy services are provided by a qualified physical therapy assistant, such services shall be provided under the supervision of a qualified physical therapist who makes an onsite supervisory visit at least once every 30 days. This supervisory visit shall not be reimbursable.

12VAC30-130-30. Occupational therapy.

A. Services for individuals requiring occupational therapy are provided only as an element of hospital outpatient service, nursing facility service, home health service, rehabilitation agency; by a school division employing qualified occupational therapists; or when otherwise included as an authorized service by a cost provider who provides rehabilitation services.

B. Effective September 1, 1990, Virginia Medicaid will not make direct reimbursement to providers for occupational therapy services for Medicaid recipients residing in long-term care facilities. Reimbursement for these services is and continues to be included as a component of the nursing facilities' operating cost.

C. Occupational therapy services shall be those services furnished a patient which meet all the following conditions:

1. The services shall be directly and specifically related to an active written treatment plan designed and personally signed and dated (as in 12VAC30-130-10 B) by the physician after any needed consultation with an occupational therapist registered and certified by the American Occupational Therapy Certification Board; and

2. The services shall be of a level of complexity and sophistication, or the condition of the patient shall be of a nature that the services can only be performed by an occupational therapist registered and certified by the American Occupational Therapy Certification Board, a graduate of a program approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association and engaged in the supplemental clinical experience required before registration by the American Occupational Therapy Association under the supervision of an occupational therapist as defined above, or an occupational therapy assistant who is certified by the American Occupational Therapy Certification Board under the direct supervision of an occupational therapist as defined above. When occupational therapy services are provided by a qualified occupational therapy assistant or a graduate engaged in supplemental clinical experience required before registration, such services shall be provided under the supervision of a qualified occupational therapist who makes an onsite supervisory visit at least once every 30 days. This supervisory visit shall not be reimbursable.

12VAC30-130-40. Services for individuals with speech, hearing, and language disorders.

A. These services are provided by or under the supervision of a speech pathologist or an audiologist only as an element of hospital outpatient service, nursing facility service, home health service, rehabilitation agency; by a school division employing a qualified speech-language pathologist or audiologist; or when otherwise included as an authorized service by a cost provider who provides rehabilitation services.

B. Effective September 1, 1990, Virginia Medicaid will not make direct reimbursement to providers for speech-language pathology services for Medicaid recipients residing in long-term care facilities. Reimbursement for these services is and continues to be included as a component of the nursing facilities' operating cost.

C. Speech-language therapy services shall be those services furnished a patient which meet all the following conditions:

1. The services shall be directly and specifically related to an active written treatment plan designed and personally signed and dated by a physician after any needed consultation with a speech-language pathologist licensed by the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, or, if exempted from licensure by statute, meeting the requirements in 42 CFR 440.110(c); and

2. The services shall be of a level of complexity and sophistication, or the condition of the patient shall be of a nature that the services can only be performed by a speech-language pathologist licensed by the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.