Rehabilitation Agencies provide physical and occupational therapy, speech and language services, and social or vocational adjustment services in an outpatient setting to individuals with disabilities or impairments with the goal of upgrading their physical functioning.

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Rehabilitation services are provided in Rehabilitation Agencies by physical and occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, social workers and vocational counselors. Each patient has a written plan of care for services that include diagnosis and prognosis of condition and a treatment regime intended to enhance and increase a patient's functional abilities.

Along with providing services, Rehabilitation Agencies are responsible for maintaining treatment equipment, a sanitary and comfortable treatment environment and confidentiality of clinical records.

Rehabilitation Agencies are not licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania but may be certified for participation in the federal Medicare program.

Medicare pays for services provided by Certified Rehabilitation Agencies who voluntarily seek and are approved for certification by the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  CMS contracts with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to evaluate compliance with the federal rehabilitation regulations by periodically conducting unannounced surveys of these agencies.

All of the regulations and forms noted below are in pdf format and are viewable with Adobe Reader.  If you need the free viewer, please click here and follow the download instructions.

FEDERAL MEDICARE REGULATIONS:

Rehabilitation Regulations

  COMPREHENSIVE OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION FACILITIES

Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs) provide coordinated rehabilitation programs that include physician services, physical therapy services and social or psychological services.  The facility is intended to provide diagnostic, therapeutic and restorative services to injured, disabled or ill individuals.

CORFs are not licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania but may be certified for participation in the federal Medicare program.

Medicare pays for services provided by CORFs who voluntarily seek and are approved for certification by the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  CMS contracts with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to evaluate compliance with the federal rehabilitation regulations by periodically conducting surveys of these facilities.

FEDERAL MEDICARE REGULATIONS:

CORF Regulations

For information on CORFs or Physical Therapy/Speech Therapy Rehabilitation agencies in your area, click here for the county map, or click here for a complete listing. 

Rehabilitation and CORF Service Provider Applications

Please download all of the information here for a Rehabilitation Facility application.

Please submit one (1) copy of CMS Form 1856

Please submit four (4) copies of CMS Form 1561

Federal Civil Rights Information

Click here for the application needed to participate with your Fiscal Intermediary.

Rehabilitation materials needed for an on-site survey

Please download all of the information here for a CORF application.

Please submit one (1) copy of CMS Form 359

Please submit four (4) copies of CMS Form 1561

Federal Civil Rights Information 

Click here for the application needed to participate with your Fiscal Intermediary.

CORF materials needed for an on-site survey

If you have any questions or require help in filling out the forms, please feel free to contact the Division of Home Health at 717-783-1379.

Submit the completed forms to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Home Health, 132 Kline Plaza, Suite A, Harrisburg, PA 17104. 

After review and acceptance of the application materials, DOH will conduct an on-site survey before recommending the rehabilitation facility for Medicare certification.

Related Link:

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)