Understanding Supervisory Visits

LifeCare Therapy is committed to full compliance with all regulatory requirements. Understand that progress visits and supervision of a case are separated, but related requirements warrant definition. Supervision applies not only to a patient, but also directly to the assistant who is rendering care. In contrast, a Progress Report is a document required by Medicare to assess patient progress and document the medical necessity for continued therapy.

A Progress/Supervisory Visit is for the patient and must be done on/before every 10th therapy session.

Supervision of a case relates to when an assistant (PTA/COTA) is providing care. Medicare requires that when PT/OT services are provided in an off-site (home) location, the PT/OT Supervisor see the patient at least every 30 days.

To meet these two requirements, LifeCare Therapy requests:

1. A progress visit be scheduled every 3 weeks for a patient. If not on the schedule, assistants must notify the supervisory one week in advance

2. All therapists monitor POC frequency and # of visits to ensure that 8 "therapy only" visits are scheduled between supervisory visits.

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A Supervisory Visit does not need to replace an assistant's therapy visit, but can be an "additional visit" that week.

All therapists should be reviewing alerts for POC certification end date and # of visits until the next supervisory visit is due.