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Definitions |
Physical Therapy
The practice of physical therapy includes:
Texas Medicaid limits physical therapy to the skilled treatment of clients who have acute or acute exacerbation of chronic disorders or chronic medical condition of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems.
Occupational Therapy
The practice of occupational therapy includes:
Texas Medicaid limits occupational therapy to the skilled treatment of clients whose ability to function in life roles is impaired.
Occupational therapy uses purposeful activities to obtain or regain skills needed for activities of daily living (ADL) and/or functional skills needed for daily life lost through acute medical condition, acute exacerbation of a medical condition, or chronic medical condition related to injury, disease, or other medical causes. ADLs are basic self-care tasks such as feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, and mobility.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is a benefit of Texas Medicaid for the treatment of chronic (for clients who are 20 years of age and younger), acute, or acute exacerbations of pathological or traumatic conditions of the head or neck, which affect speech production, speech communication and oral motor, feeding and swallowing disorders. Speech therapy may be provided by a physician or speech language pathologist within their licensed scope of practice.
Speech-language pathologists treat speech sound and motor speech disorders, stuttering, voice disorders, aphasia and other language impairments, cognitive disorders, social communication disorders and swallowing (dysphagia) deficits.
Speech therapy is designed to ameliorate, restore, or rehabilitate speech language communication and swallowing disorders that have been lost or damaged as a result of a chronic, acute or acute exacerbation of a medical condition due to a recent injury, disease or other medical conditions, or congenital anomalies or injuries.
There are three types of communication disorders:
Language Disorders—Impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written and/or other symbol systems. This disorder may involve the following components: forms of language (phonology, morphology, and syntax), content and meaning of language (pragmatics) and/or the perception/ processing of language. Language disorders may involve one, all or a combination of the above components.
Speech Production Disorders—Impairment of the articulation of speech sounds, voice and/or fluency. Speech Production Disorders may involve one, all or a combination of these components of the speech production system. An articulation disorder may manifest as an individual sound deficiency, i.e., traditional articulation disorder, incomplete or deviant use of the phonological system, i.e., phonological disorder, or poor coordination of the oral-motor mechanism for purposes of speech production, i.e., verbal and/or apraxia, dysarthria.
Oral Motor/Swallowing/Feeding Disorders—Impairment of the muscles, structures and/or functions of the mouth (physiological or sensory-based) involved with the entire act of deglutition from placement and manipulation of food in the mouth through the oral and pharyngeal phases of the swallow. These disorders may or may not result in deficits to speech production.
Acute PT and OT Services
Acute PT and OT services are benefits of Texas Medicaid for the medically necessary short-term treatment of an acute medical condition or an acute exacerbation of a chronic medical condition.
Treatments are expected to significantly improve, restore or develop physical functions diminished or lost as a result of a recent trauma, illness, injury, disease, surgery, or change in medical condition, in a reasonable and generally predictable period of time (60 days), based on the prescribing provider’s and therapist’s assessment of the client’s restorative potential.
Note: Recent is defined as occurring within the past 90 days of the prescribing provider’s evaluation of condition.
Chronic Services
Chronic physical, occupational, and speech therapy services are benefits of Texas Medicaid for the medically necessary treatment of chronic medical conditions and developmental delay when a medical need is established for the developmental delay as indicated in this handbook. All eligible clients who are birth through 20 years of age may continue to receive all medically necessary therapy services, with documentation proving medical necessity.
The goals of the services provided are directed at maintaining, improving, adapting, or restoring functions which have been lost or impaired due to a recent illness, injury, loss of body part, congenital abnormality, degenerative disease, or developmental delay.
Reference
Texas Medicaid Provider Manual
Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy Services Handbook
June 2022
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