[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 977 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 977

  To permit occupational therapists to conduct the initial assessment 
 visit and complete the comprehensive assessment under a Medicare home 
         health plan of care for certain rehabilitation cases.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2017

Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Heller) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To permit occupational therapists to conduct the initial assessment 
 visit and complete the comprehensive assessment under a Medicare home 
         health plan of care for certain rehabilitation cases.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act 
of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PERMITTING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS TO CONDUCT THE INITIAL 
              ASSESSMENT VISIT AND COMPLETE THE COMPREHENSIVE 
              ASSESSMENT UNDER A MEDICARE HOME HEALTH PLAN OF CARE FOR 
              CERTAIN REHABILITATION CASES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 484.55(a)(2) or 
484.55(b)(3) of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, or any other 
provision of law, an occupational therapist may be designated to 
conduct the initial assessment visit and to complete the comprehensive 
assessment for an individual who is eligible for home health services 
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act if the referral order by 
the physician--
            (1) does not include skilled nursing care;
            (2) includes occupation therapy; and
            (3) includes physical therapy or speech language pathology.
    (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection (a) shall be 
construed to provide for initial eligibility for coverage of home 
health services under title XVIII of the Social Security Act solely on 
the basis of a need for occupational therapy.
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