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Group Therapy Requirements for Medicare Part A and Part B

Kathleen D. Weissberg, OTD, OTR/L, CMDCP, CDP, CFPS

December 7, 2016

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Question

Can you review the requirements for Medicare Part A and B circumstances for group therapy? 

Answer

For Medicare Part A, four patients is a group. They should be doing like or similar activities, but I guess they don't have to be. Medicare Part B is two or more people who may or may not be doing the same thing. Medicare Part B does not have a definition for concurrent therapy.   For Part A, two or more would be concurrent and so for Part B, two or more is considered a group. If you have a student working with you (the supervisor) with a group, either the student has to be overseeing the entire group, or you need to be overseeing the entire group. You can't split it, that's the big piece there. So let's say it's Part A, and you have four patients, I am overseeing two patients, and my student, Sally, is overseeing two patients, that's a no-no as well. Either I oversee all four, or Sally oversees all four. 


kathleen d weissberg

Kathleen D. Weissberg, OTD, OTR/L, CMDCP, CDP, CFPS

In her 30+ years of practice, Dr. Kathleen Weissberg has worked in rehabilitation and long-term care as an executive, researcher, and educator.  She has established numerous programs in nursing facilities; authored peer-reviewed publications on topics such as low vision, dementia quality care, and wellness; and has spoken at national and international conferences. She provides continuing education support to over 40,000 individuals nationwide as National Director of Education for Select Rehabilitation. She is a Certified Dementia Care Practitioner, a Certified Montessori Dementia Care Practitioner, and a Certified Fall Prevention Specialist.  She serves as the Region 1 Director for the American Occupational Therapy Association Political Action Committee and adjunct professor at Gannon University in Erie, PA. 


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