Proposed Medicare rule could cut payment for same-day speech therapy, creating split visits

A CMS payment proposal is raising concerns among speech-language pathologists. The change could reduce or eliminate reimbursement for speech therapy services provided on the same day as certain other Medicare services, such as a physician visit. If finalized, this would force clinics to either schedule patients for separate days, potentially disrupting care, or absorb the financial loss for combined visits. The rule is not yet final; CMS is reviewing comments. Practices with integrated rehab and physician services should monitor the Federal Register for the final rule and model the revenue impact on their most common visit combinations.