Eli's Rehab Report

Question: When you refer to rehab agencies in the fee schedule story in Eli's Rehab Report, Vol. 16, No. 1, do those rulings apply to home health agencies that furnish Part B outpatient therapy? The article was discussing a 30-day recertification period and the deletion of the requirement to offer social and vocational adjustment services.

Louisiana Subscriber

Answer: The above does not apply to home health agencies, but more specifically, rehab agencies and home health agencies are not one in the same, even if you're simply talking about Part B therapy in HHA. Rehab agencies and HHAs should follow the same general Medicare guidelines for Part B therapy, but rehab agencies are very specific entities that undergo survey processes and have their own conditions of participation, which are sometimes more stringent than Medicare.