• Certification and Ongoing Responsibilities
  • Introduction
  • Other Facilities
  • Responsibilities
  • Supervision Requirements
    • Introduction
    • Declaration of Supervision
    • Supervision Waiver
  • Durable Medical Equipment and Disposable Medical Supplies
• Provider Communication
  • Introduction
  • Coordination with School-Based Services Providers
  • Coordination with County Birth to 3 Programs
  • Therapy Services for Children Brochure
  • Guide to Obtaining Augmentative Communication Devices and Accessories
  • Directory of Used Medical Equipment
• Documentation Requirements
  • Introduction
  • Prescriptions
  • Evaluations
  • Plan of Care
  • Daily Entries
• Services and Requirements
  • Introduction
  • Initial Spell of Illness
  • Daily Limitations
  • Duplicate Services
  • Evaluations
  • Group Therapy
  • Natural Environments
  • Durable Medical Equipment and Disposable Medical Supplies
  • HealthCheck "Other Services"
  • Services Not Separately Reimbursable
  • Reimbursement Not Available
• Codes
  • Procedure Codes
    • Introduction
    • Unit of Service
  • Modifiers
  • Place of Service Codes
  • Diagnosis Codes
• Prior Authorization
  • Introduction
  • Prior Authorization Forms and Attachments
  • Medical Necessity
    • Introduction
    • Relationship of Medical Necessity to Clinical Practice Principles
  • Flexibility of Approved Services
    • Introduction
    • Plan of Care Must Reflect Flexibility of Approved Services
    • Duration of Approved Services
    • Coordinating Multiple Prior Authorization Requests
• Requesting Extension of Therapy, Maintenance Therapy, and Services That Always Require Prior Authorization
  • Introduction
  • Approval Criteria
  • Extension of Therapy
  • Maintenance Therapy
    • Introduction
    • Direct Maintenance
    • Monitoring Maintenance
    • Discontinuing Maintenance
  • Services That Always Require Prior Authorization
    • Introduction
    • Cotreatment
    • Dual Treatment
    • Unlisted Procedure Codes
    • Decubitus Ulcers
• Requesting Spell of Illness
  • Introduction
  • Maximum Allowable Treatment Days
    • Introduction
    • Unused Treatment Days
• Extension of Therapy vs. Spell of Illness
• Requesting Services for Birth to 3 Participants
  • Introduction
  • Situations That Do Not Qualify for Birth to 3
• Requesting Amendments
  • Introduction
  • Approval Criteria
  • Reasons for Denial
• Claims
  • Introduction
  • 837 Health Care Claim: Professional
  • CMS 1500
  • Provider Numbers
    • Individual Providers
    • Groups, Clinics, and Nursing Homes
    • Rehabilitation Agencies
    • Hospitals
  • Referring Provider
  • Evaluations
  • Services Provided Beyond Daily Limits
  • Unlisted Procedure Codes
  • Multiple Services During One Session
  • Submitting Claims for Birth to 3 Services
• Reimbursement
  • Maximum Allowable Fees
  • Reimbursement Methods
    • Introduction
    • Natural Environment Enhanced Reimbursement
  • Copayment
    • Introduction
    • Annual Copayment Maximum
• Appendix
• PDF

Services and Requirements

Initial Spell of Illness

Up to 35 dates of service (DOS) are allowed for each therapy discipline the first time a recipient requires PT, OT, or SLP services in his or her lifetime. This is called the recipient’s initial spell of illness (SOI). The recipient’s initial SOI does not require PA. However, some services always require PA, even when they are provided during a recipient’s initial SOI. (Refer to the Requesting Extension of Therapy, Maintenance Therapy, and Services That Always Require Prior Authorization chapter of this handbook for information about services that always require PA.)

The initial SOI begins with the first day of evaluation or treatment and ends when the services are no longer required or after the 35 DOS, whichever comes first. The 35 DOS include any treatment days covered by other health insurance sources or any treatment days provided by another provider in any setting. If after 35 DOS a recipient’s condition requires additional PT, OT, or SLP services, PA is required.

To receive Medicaid reimbursement, PT, OT, and SLP services provided within the initial 35 treatment days must meet the same medical necessity requirements as PT, OT, and SLP services that require PA.

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