AOTA Fact Sheet on OT’s Value in Home Health as a Medicare Qualifying Service
AOTA has published a fact sheet highlighting the value of occupational therapy (OT) as a Medicare home health qualifying service as part of advocacy efforts to support introduction of the Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act (MHHA). The fact sheet provides statistics detailing the health and economic costs of four conditions commonly treated by OT in the home: falls and related injuries, Alzheimer’s dementia, chronic conditions, and low vision. This resource also summarizes relevant evidence-based research supporting OT as a stand-alone service for Medicare beneficiaries when appropriate.
Following passage of the Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act in 2020, OT practitioners can now complete the initial and comprehensive assessments required to open Medicare home health cases; however, physical therapy and/or speech language pathology must also be ordered. If enacted, the Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act would take this legislation one step further by allowing beneficiaries to qualify for home health care when OT is the only medically necessary service required.
AOTA staff are working with congressional champions in the 118th U.S. Congress to introduce this long overdue legislation. Without the MHHA, current alternatives for Medicare beneficiaries include seeking OT services outside of the home, which can increase falls and hospitalization risk and be burdensome for homebound individuals, or electing for no OT at all, which can lead to further declines in health, function, and independence. The MHHA will increase access to OT services, prevent delays in needed care, decrease hospitalizations, and save costs for both beneficiaries and the Medicare system.
This published resource has many purposes and functions. First, it will be used by AOTA’s Federal Affairs and Regulatory Affairs departments to support congressional efforts toward passing the MHHA and engaging with CMS and other payers. Second, practitioners may utilize and distribute the fact sheet to clients, colleagues, employers, third party payers, and others to promote OT’s continued value in the home health setting. Third, use of the fact sheet at state and federal OT Hill Days is encouraged to advocate for the profession.
View the Fact sheet on the Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act here
The fact sheet was originally developed by Cortney Leverentz, MS, OTR/L, CLT, a capstone student, in collaboration with Andy Bopp, senior legislative representative with AOTA’s Federal Affairs department. Cortney is a post-professional occupational therapy doctoral student and an occupational therapist with extensive experience working in the home health setting.