Hello Pat: I don't have much knowledge of CORF-specific Medicare regulations, however, I find it highly unlikely that Medicare regs state that only a PT can treat back and LE pain patients. Medicare does not distinguish disciplines by body parts that can or can not be treated.
I think your employer is trying to hire a PT and are using the the Medicare regs as an excuse. Will you please ask your employer for a reference to the Medicare regs that they are citing, and then share that regulation with us? You may also want to contact the Reimbursement and Regulatory dept at AOTA: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I am SURE they are very interested in this situation!!!!! Thanks, Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Pat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] UE vs LE & Medicare (new rant) P> I have worked in a pain management clinic for over two years. They P> recently changed the name to functional restoration clinic, but the program P> has not changed. We recently became CORF accredited, and all of a sudden I P> am no longer qualified to do the same thing with medicare patients that I P> have been doing with worker's comp patients for more than two years. The P> majority of the patients are back and LE patients, and medicare says that P> only a PT can treat them. I am the one and only OT at the clinic, and P> there is no PT. Unless and until they hire a PT, we can't treat those P> medicare patients that we are now accredited to treat. YET... it would be P> perfectly acceptable to medicare if a new PT grad with far less experience P> than me were to come in and treat them!!!! Go figure. P> Pat -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
