Lisa and Marilyn were recently asked by The New York Institute of Technology's Occupational Therapy Assistant Program to present a lecture on documentation to ensure reimbursement.
Since Occupational Therapy Assistants can work with such a variety of populations and in so many different venues the presentation covered populations and settings from birth to old age. Reimbursement sources and documentation guidelines were shared so that they student would understand how their documentation impacts on payment.
Documentation guidelines for early intervention, preschool, school aged, hospitals, nursing homes and home care were covered. All of this was interchanged with explanations of how therapy is reimbursed. Who pays the hospital for the patient getting occupational therapy? How does the nursing home afford to pay for all the therapy given to patients? How is early intervention funded if it's at no cost to the family but a child requires occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech services in order to develoop and grow?
Payer sources were explained with a focus on the largest payers -Medicare and Medicaid along with private insurance and HMO's. The impact of government grants, reimbursement and support for pediatric services were covered as well.
For the final segment of the evening, Lisa and Marilyn asked the students to divide into groups and were shown videos of a woman who had recently sustained a stroke, followed by a video of the same woman following intensive occupational therapy. The students were then asked to collaborate to produce a progress note representing the improvement in the woman's functional status.They shared their notes and the class was asked to critique and comment on what was good or lacking in each.
After a long four hour class, the students came away with an enriched view of their roles and responsibilities in creating documentation for the patients that they see.
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