[Dysphagia] Outpatient FEES

[ronewman at columbus.rr.com (robert newman)]

I have been working with a few SLPs who recently completed a course on FEES.
They were told that an SLP could pass a scope in an acute care setting
without a physician present in the room, however, a physician must be
present during an outpatient procedure. The reasoning was that it would be a
given that there are physicians in hospitals, but not necessarily in
outpatient clinics all the time. Their presenters reported that this was a
recent Medicare change for reimbursement, maybe in the past year. 

 

I did try to get on the Medicare website, but my internet navigational
skills are not the best and so I could not find anything, if it was there.
Does anyone know anything about this? Any information would be helpful.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Kelly L. Newman, CCC-SLP

Columbus, Ohio