One of the great things about rehabbing with Medicare insurance is the large number of options you have, allowing you to get back to health in a way that fits both you and your life circumstances. While some instances, your options are chosen for you by what you’re rehabilitating from, other times, you’re able to find one that’s fairly inobtrusive to your current life. A Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitative Facility (CORF) may just fit this bill.
What are CORFs?
In many ways, a CORF can be described as a one-stop-shop for outpatient therapy and rehab services. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), CORFS must provide “coordinated diagnostic, therapeutic, and restorative services,” at a single, permanent location, though physical, occupational, and speech therapy may be provided elsewhere. This gives patients a single location to find the types of rehabilitation services they need, whether those are physical, psychological, or social. CORFs may be certified by CMS if they fit the following requirements:
- Surveyed at least every six years;
- Provide physical, social, and psychological services;
- Creation and review of a treatment plan and other medical and facility activities;
- Consultation with medical supervision of non-physician staff;
If the facility fits these requirements, CMS can certify it as a CORF, allowing it to be covered by the Medicare program. This opens up access and coverage for a large number of patients who need their services.
What Does Medicare Insurance Cover at a Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitative Facility?
If your doctor says rehabilitative services are medically necessary and an outpatient facility is sufficient for your needs, you should receive coverage through Medicare Part B. In these instances, Medicare insurance will cover services given at a Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitative Facility as it would for any other outpatient facility. This means that coverage may differ depending on the service you’re receiving, but, as long as it’s covered by the Medicare program for outpatient care, it’ll be covered at the CORF. You may need to recertify that the services are still medically necessary after 90 days. This can be continuously renewed as needed.
As we can see through the definition of a CORF, there are many different services that can be received at a Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitative Facility. Obviously, this includes the standard physical, social, and psychological therapy that are included in the official requirements of a CORF. That said, it goes well beyond this. CORFs may provide diagnosis of rehabilitative needs, onsite nursing and medical care, and any durable medical equipment or prosthetics that may be necessary as part of your treatment.
How are CORFs Covered by the Medicare Program?
In terms of the coverage you receive while at a Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitative Facility, the model follows the type of care you’re receiving. Generally, this would mean you owe a 20 percent coinsurance after reaching your Part B deductible. This goes for everything from physical therapy to mental health treatment. It’s that simple!
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So, what’s the main difference between a Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitative Facility and any outpatient treatment you’ve been receiving? Essentially, the primary difference is that CORFs lump everything together into a convenient location where your care can be organized and combined so that your rehabilitation can be completed as conveniently as possible. With that convenience, you can focus less on finding out the next steps of your recovery and more on getting better.
