Occupational Therapy Medicare Plan of Care Frequency and Duration
Medicare Plan of Care Question about Occupational Therapy Medicare Plan of Care Frequency and Duration:
“I am a mobile OP PT provider, have a potential patient who has Medicare as her primary. Can I write a PT POC for a specific number of visits over a certain time period (ie 16 visits over 60 days) rather than a specific number of visits per week? I have a potential patient who will be out of town for a few weeklong time periods (trying to sell her house out of state), so I’m not sure how to account for those weeks. Or do I write my POC for what I think is medically necessary (ie 2 times/wk x 8 weeks) and then just put in multiple missed visit notes for the weeklong time periods that she is away? I have not encountered this situation before.”
Answer: Medicare requires frequency to be listed in visits per week and duration to be number of weeks.
Based on the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual section 220.1.2 part B “The frequency refers to the number of times in a week the type of treatment is provided” and “The duration is the number of weeks, or the number of treatment sessions, for THIS
PLAN of care.”
Anthony Maritato, PT
Private Practice Owner / Physical Therapist
After starting a private practice physical therapy clinic in 2022 with his wife Kathy Maritato, PT, Tony and Kathy grew their practice to five locations across two states.
Now, Tony and Kathy enjoy spending time treating patients in the morning, coaching therapists in the evening, and being home to play with their dog Tucker and 4 boys.
