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Newsletter :: February 2004

Feb 01, 2004 Posted by: Ronda Polanksy Newsletters

 

Happy Valentines Day!

 

E-Stim a popular topic! Two CEU conferences full in record time

Wow! The Feb 6th and 7th conference filled up in less than 2 days and we even extended it to 50 seats! We are so anxious to see everyone! There was such an overwhelming response, due to popular request, we rescheduled another CEU class on Friday, Feb 20th and it filled up within 2 days as well. Thank you for your interest, as I know how important this topic is to everyone. Be looking for future conferences on other topics every quarter!

2004 A New Beginning! Thank you for kicking off our New Year with a bang!

We are so happy to be working with all of you again! We are having so much fun and are so excited every time we hear from you! If you need a service agreement from us, we are a phone call away at

817-514-MBS1 or 1-888-514-MBS1. DiagnosTEX has so much to offer you:

  1. The most qualified mobile MBSS team in DFW, staffing 3 vans to make sure you get your MBSS completed sooner than later!
  2. 24-48 hour service. We are a local DFW based company. How long are you waiting for an MBSS with area competitors???
  3. Full time Physicians with individual malpractice insurance policies, not residents
  4. Discounted CEU conference rates quarterly
  5. We are available for Dysphagia in-services for your facility at your request
  6. An educational MBSS videotape for all Diagnostic customers
  7. When you call in, we will call you back that day to let you know what day we can be there
  8. Very Competitive fees/rates
  9. NO EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENTS
  10. Typed Speech Pathology and Physician MBSS detailed reports printed immediately
  11. DiagnosTEX follows up on every patient we evaluate within 7-10 days.

You will see a difference in the quality of study with DiagnosTEX, guaranteed! Give us a call!

 

92611 reimbursement INCREASE! YEAH!

With the ushering of 2004 come new Medicare reimbursement rates. Effective January 1, 2004 Medicare reimbursement for the Speech Pathology CPT Code 92611 has increased. This is great news to everyone involved! This particular code is a fully reimbursable code on Part B patients by the facility when a mobile Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS) is performed. For example, when DiagnosTEX, LLC performs a mobile MBSS on one of your residents, we will invoice you for this MBSS CPT code, the facility should then bill Medicare for the exact same amount as the invoice, to be reimbursed in full. The 2004 Medicare fee schedule is as follows:

Tarrant County $128.98

Dallas County $139.76

Other: $116.16

These fees were taken directly from the Online Fee Schedule on Trailblazer’s website. These fees increased even from 1/1/04. You will notice these particular fee changes on DiagnosTEX, LLC invoices January 1, 2004. Please check with your billing department to ensure that you are billing for this 92611 code and that they continue to do this so you will receive this reimbursement in full. If you have any questions concerning any of this new information, please do not hesitate to call us 817-514-6271 or 1-888-514-6271.

 

SLP Reference Sheets to use during your evaluations and treatment

If you have not gotten one from us, be sure to ask for one next time we are at your facility to do your MBSS. It is our gift to you!

 

Terminology –

We come across some interesting information evaluating patients, wanted to share some with you:

  1. Haptic System – Neural process by which an individual perceives his body relation to objects and space.
  2. Pierre Robin Syndrome – Complex of disorders characterized by micrognathia, glossoptosis, high arched cleft palate, absent gag reflex, with associated aural, ocular, skeletal and cardiovascular anomalies.
  3. Retrognathic – Having underdeveloped maxilla. Mandible, or both
  4. Sigmatism – Lisp
  5. Tapia Syndrome – Ipsilateral paralysis of the larynx and tongue but not of the soft palate; due to unilateral lesions of the vagus and hypoglossal nerves.

 

Books by Stroke Survivors

Reading a book by a stroke survivor or caregiver can give valuable insight into a patient’s recovery process or as a role of a caregiver. It also lets them know they are not alone.

  1. Elvis Was My Speech Therapist – By James Lee Bradley
  2. Kate’s Journey: Triumph Over Adversity – By Kate Adamson
  3. Locked In: A Young Woman’s Battle with Stroke – By Judy Mozersky
  4. Out of the Blue: One Woman’s Story of Stroke, Love and Betrayal – By Bonnie Sherr Klein

These books have been endorsed by the American Stroke Association

 

Dysphagia Tidbit – Treatment in Special populations

The special population term includes populations such as Dementia.

When evaluating and treating a special population is necessary that we determine how stable a patient is and we can begin by considering their location in a facility: ICU, floor of acute care hospital, skilled unit, rehab, or home.

Dementia – Dementia patients often times can not follow directions, but neither can NICU infants. To find some new treatment approaches consider infant oral motor treatment and learned techniques from occupational and physical therapists, especially in the treatment of muscle tone. Tongue strength is one of the most common underlying problems in dysphagia in the dementia population. Since SLP’s are not trained to work with muscle tone, the standard oral motor exercises do not always target the right areas. Tongue strength is important because the ability of the tongue to tolerate weight of a bolus is important to the swallow process.

TX Consideration: To build tongue strength the therapist must provide resistance to the tongue/muscle. One method is to use a tongue blade or spoon to push down on the tongue while trying to have the person protrude or lift the tongue, often this might be reflexive.

If you need a copy of oral and/or pharyngeal exercises, give me a call and I will be happy to fax them to you.

 

Super Duper Publications has a full line of new oral motor products.