A newly proposed change by the The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2008 would allow the recertification period for Speech Language Pathology services to extend from the current 30 days to 90 days. Quoting the CMS: “review and certify the initial plan of care as soon as possible,” the certification would apply “for an episode length based on the patient’s needs, not to exceed 90 days, and would be recertified every 90 days thereafter.”
How does this affect an SLP? For starters, it protects their patient’s access to the treatment and reduces the amount of admin paperwork needed currently to review/recertify the treatment every 30 days. The proposed ruling was published in July and may be viewed by clicking here.