(a) The facility must have written policies and procedures governing recipient therapeutic home visits away from the facility for the purpose of visiting with relatives and friends.
(b) The following conditions must be met for the facility to receive vendor payment:
  (1) the recipient's plan of care provides for physician-authorized therapeutic visits;
  (2) the facility must provide equipment and supplies necessary to meet the needs of the recipient, including, but not limited to, medication and oxygen and supplies for its administration;
  (3) if a visit exceeds three days, the facility submits a discharge form effective the first day. Days are defined as 24-hour periods extending from midnight to midnight. In determining days of absence from a facility, the first day is the first 24-hour period beginning at midnight after the recipient's departure. Situations that require a discharge form effective the first day include:
    (A) alternate care living arrangements, including at home;
    (B) transfer or discharge to other medical care or living arrangements covered under Title XIX; and
    (C) therapeutic visits that are over three days (one night must be spent in the facility between therapeutic home visits if vendor payment is to be made);
  (4) the facility must maintain a record of each therapeutic visit away from the facility. Verification that therapeutic visits took place and were documented is a part of the audit procedures during the DHS audit of the facility. DHS does not pay for therapeutic visits which were not documented.
(c) Before a resident goes on therapeutic leave, the facility must provide written notification to the recipient, and, if known, a responsible party, or family or legal representative, regarding the three-day time limit for a home visit, as specified in subsection (b)(3) of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §554.2603 adopted to be effective May 1, 1995, 20 TexReg 2393; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871