Can a healthcare provider be reimbursed for indirect services? Do Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance pay for indirect services?
Indirect services are those services that support an individual’s communication program but that involve activities other than direct patient/client contact. Some examples might be training direct care staff and families, programming an AAC device, and completing environmental inventories to determine target vocabulary words. Indirect services ensure that the communication devices/strategies are appropriately tailored to the need of the individual, and that the individual’s circle of support is sufficiently educated and empowered to support the individual’s communication capabilities. Medicare reimbursement currently does not cover indirect services. Medicaid reimbursement of such services depends on the Medicaid coverage guidelines in effect in each state; check your state’s Medicaid policy to determine whether indirect services are covered benefits in your state. Several states’ Medicaid programs will reimburse a variety of indirect services. For example, a state policy that enables
