Medicare Benefit Policy Manual
Chapter 15 - Covered Medical and Other Health Services
230 - Practice of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and SpeechLanguage Pathology
(Rev. 63, Issued: 12-29-06, Effective: 01-01-07, Implementation: on or before 01-29- 07)
B. Therapy Students
Only the services of the therapist can be billed and paid under Medicare Part B. The services performed by a student are not reimbursed even if provided under “line of sight” supervision of the therapist; however, the presence of the student “in the room” does not make the service unbillable. Pay for the direct (one-to-one) patient contact services of the physician or therapist provided to Medicare Part B patients. Group therapy services performed by a therapist or physician may be billed when a student is also present “in the room”.
EXAMPLES:
Therapists may bill and be paid for the provision of services in the following scenarios:
The qualified practitioner is present and in the room for the entire session. The student participates in the delivery of services when the qualified practitioner is directing the service, making the skilled judgment, and is responsible for the assessment and treatment.
The qualified practitioner is present in the room guiding the student in service delivery when the therapy student and the therapy assistant student are participating in the provision of services, and the practitioner is not engaged in treating another patient or doing other tasks at the same time.
The qualified practitioner is responsible for the services and as such, signs all documentation. (A student may, of course, also sign but it is not necessary since the Part B payment is for the clinician’s service, not for the student’s services).