Can I bill for educating a patient’s family if the patient is in a vegetative state?
Answer
Unfortunately you cannot bill for educating the family alone. The resident needs to be actively participating in the session and be able to benefit from the session as part of his/her Plan of Treatment. Although we know that the family needs to receive education pertinent to their loved one’s course of treatment, if the resident isn't able to actively participate or benefit from the education session, then by regulation you are not able to bill for it.
Gary Mertz, M.S., CCC-SLP has been a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist in long-term care since 1996. He grew in his career through management and now functions as the Director of Corporate Compliance/Quality Improvement for Flagship and Anchor Rehabilitation, Inc.
Gary Mertz, M.S., CCC-SLP, RAC-CT
Gary C. Mertz has been working in the field for almost 16 years. He graduated from West Virginia University. He first worked as a staff clinician in the long-term care industry but has also worked in settings including hospital, home health, and pediatric services. He steadily moved into management, serving roles as Facility Rehab Director and Regional Manager. He now functions as the Director of Corporate Compliance/Quality Improvement for Flagship and Anchor Rehabilitation. He still treats patients when needed and also functions as a Clinical Fellow Supervisor.
Gary works for a contract rehab company and has offered similar training to customers but was not for any financial gain.
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