Billing and Coding: Skilled Therapy Services in the SNF PPS Setting

Therapy minutes on the SNF PPS MDS may only be recorded for time that requires the skills of a qualified therapist and must be reasonable and necessary in amount, frequency, and duration. For modalities (e.g., electrical stimulation, Omnicycle, NuStep), only the specific portions that require skilled tasks (electrode placement, settings, removal, skin checks) should be captured unless very specific documentation justifies constant 1:1 therapist attendance, which must be corroborated by the medical record.

"Only treatment time that requires the skills of a qualified licensed therapist (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, or Speech Therapy) may be recorded as therapy minutes on the MDS for an SNF P..."

Sign up to see full coverage criteria, indications, and limitations.