Payment may be made for speech therapy services when ordered by a physician and performed by a licensed or otherwise certified speech pathologist/therapist. Speech therapy services must be directed to the active treatment of at least one of the following conditions:

1. Disease (e.g., post-cerebrovascular accident, apraxia);
2. Trauma (e.g., subdural hematoma influencing the speech center);
3. Congenital anomalies (defects which are the result of imperfect development of an embryo or established during intrauterine life, e.g., cleft palate and lip);
4. Previous therapeutic processes (e.g., esophageal training following laryngectomy);
5. Medical/biological voice dysfunctions associated with vocal cord lesions.

Some examples of conditions for which voice therapy is eligible include:

closed head trauma
laryngeal trauma and trauma related dysphonias
polyps
vocal cord lesions
vocal cord paralysis or paresis
vocal cysts
vocal nodules

NOTE: Voice therapy provided prior to surgery is not a covered service.

Speech therapy services are generally medically appropriate for patients diagnosed with the conditions indicated above from the age 18 months through adulthood.

Additionally, speech therapy services must achieve a specific diagnosis-related goal for a patient who has a reasonable expectation of achieving measurable improvement in a reasonable and predictable period of time. These services must also provide specific, effective, and reasonable treatment for the patient's diagnosis and physical condition.

A maintenance program performed to maintain a level of function is not eligible for reimbursement. Maintenance begins when the therapeutic goals of a therapy plan have been achieved or when no functional progress is apparent or expected to occur. A participating, preferred, or network provider can bill for the denied service.

Speech therapy should be provided in accordance with an ongoing, written therapy plan.

The treatment plan should be maintained in the medical record and include the following:

1. Specific statements of long- and short-term goals;
2. Measurable objectives;
3. A reasonable estimate of when the goals of therapy will be reached;
4. A description of the specific treatment techniques and/or exercises to be used in the treatment;
5. The frequency and duration of the treatment.

Speech therapy services are generally not medically appropriate treatment for the following conditions: 

1. Psychosocial speech delay
2. Behavior problems (including impulsive behavior and impulsivity syndrome)
3. Mental retardation
4. Developmental delay

Additionally, the following services are not eligible for reimbursement:

• Therapy provided in an in-patient setting if speech therapy was the sole reason for the hospitalization;
  
• Therapy that is considered primarily educational;
  
• Services that do not require the skills of a qualified provider of speech therapy including those that can be effectively provided by the patients, family, or caregivers as well as those treatments that maintain function using routine, repetitious, and/or reinforced procedures that are neither diagnostic nor therapeutic (e.g., practicing word drills for developmental articulation errors);
  
• Speech therapy services for dysfunctions that are self-correcting, such as language therapy for young children with natural dysfluency or developmental articulation errors that may be self-correcting; or,
  
• Services that duplicate those provided by physical or occupational therapists. (Therapists should provide different treatments that reflect each therapy discipline's unique perspective on the individual's impairments and functional deficits and not duplicate the same treatment. They must also have separate evaluations, treatment plans, and goals.)

The following are coverage and patient selection criteria for patients exhibiting developmental delay in speech or language articulation and/or neurological disorders which impact speech:

• Speech therapy services provided for patients with delayed speech/language development are generally medically necessary when the delay is secondary to a history of significant chronic ear infection or loss of hearing during the formative period for speech and language skills. Generally, this period is considered to be from birth to 12 years of age. The majority of these patients will fall within an age range of 18 months to 8 years.
• Chronic ear infections must be of such documented severity and duration that the development of speech/language skills can be shown to be impaired. Generally, a bilateral hearing loss of 40dB of sufficient length (generally three months) during the speech/language formative period is adequate for the coverage of these services.
• A diagnosis of acute or chronic otitis media by itself is not a sufficient diagnosis to substantiate coverage for speech therapy services. An observed and documented delay in or loss of speech/language skills must occur to warrant coverage of these services.
• For patients with chronic otitis media, the number of infections is not as important as the duration and timing of a related hearing loss when determining coverage for speech therapy. Likewise, the presence or absence of ear tubes should not generally impact the coverage determination for speech therapy services. Coverage should generally be dependent on the degree of articulatory disturbance rather than the presence or absence of ear tubes or frequent ear infection.
• The frequency and duration of services normally needed to treat these conditions will vary considerably based on many factors, including the age of the patient, learning capabilities, severity of the problem, or other medical complications. 
• Patients diagnosed with one of the various forms of mental retardation, e.g., Down's Syndrome, are not generally considered to be good candidates for speech therapy services, except when the patient has a reasonable expectation of achieving sustainable measurable improvement in a reasonable and predictable period of time. These patients can receive the needed speech therapy and developmental services in a school setting or through special developmental learning centers.

Speech evaluations and re-evaluations should be reported with codes 92506 and S9152, respectively.  Speech therapy should be reported with codes 92507 and 92508. These are not time-based codes. It is not appropriate to report multiple services based on the amount of time spent with the patient. The codes require face-to-face encounters with the patient and should be reported once per visit.

Coverage for Speech Therapy is determined according to individual or group customer benefits.  Participating, preferred and network providers can bill the member for denied services that exceed the member's benefit limitations. 

NOTE:

For information on sensory integration techniques, refer to Medical Policy Bulletin Y-2.

 

For information on cognitive rehabilitation, refer to Medical Policy Bulletin Y-21.

Description

Speech therapy is the treatment of communication impairment and swallowing disorders. Speech therapy services involve the use of special techniques to facilitate the development and maintenance of human verbal communication and swallowing through patient assessment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation.

NOTE:

This policy is designed to address medical guidelines that are appropriate for the majority of individuals with a particular disease, illness, or condition. Each person's unique clinical circumstances may warrant individual consideration, based on review of applicable medical records.

Speech therapy, when performed by a licensed therapist or physician, is a covered benefit. Benefits for speech therapy are contractually limited to a maximum number of visits per calendar year.

PRN References

08/2005, How to report speech evaluations and speech therapy

Frequency and Effects of Teachers' Voice Problems, Journal of Voice, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1997

Unilateral Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paralysis: The Importance of Pre-operative Voice Therapy, Journal of Voice, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1997

A Study of the Effectiveness of Voice Therapy in the Treatment of 45 Patients with Neurogenic Dysphonia, Journal of Voice, Vol. 13, No. 1, 1999