68-11-226 - Licensing of home medical equipment provider. - Tennessee Statutes

68-11-226. Licensing of home medical equipment provider.

(a)  The board shall establish, by rules and regulations, standards by which a home medical equipment provider shall be licensed. The board shall provide by rule that any home medical equipment provider accredited by the joint commission on accreditation of health care organizations or other home care accrediting organizations recognized by the health care financing administration may submit documents evidencing current accreditation and shall be presumed to comply with the requirements of the board. Licensing of a home medical equipment provider that has been accredited by the joint commission on accreditation of health care organizations or other home care accrediting organizations recognized by the health care financing administration shall become effective upon written notification from the board's staff that the accreditation meets the standards set out in the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this section. The board shall also establish, by rule, provisions to ensure that branch offices of a home medical equipment provider are not required to be separately licensed nor charged separate license fees.

(b)  Nothing in this section or in § 68-11-102 or § 68-11-201 or any other provision of law shall require a home medical equipment provider that provides respiratory care equipment and that employs a respiratory care therapist, technician or assistant for the purpose of assisting patients with the use of such equipment to obtain authority as a provider of home health services.

(c)  Nothing in this section or in § 68-11-201 requires a person providing home medical equipment services to obtain a certificate of need pursuant to part 16 of this chapter.

(d)  (1)  All home care organizations providing prescribed wheeled mobility devices in this state shall have on staff, or contract with, a qualified rehabilitation professional.

     (2)  Home care organizations providing prescribed wheeled mobility devices shall obtain a complete written evaluation and recommendation by a qualified rehabilitation professional or physical therapist (PT) or occupational therapist (OT) for recipients of prescribed wheeled mobility devices.

     (3)  Home care organizations providing prescribed wheeled mobility devices shall obtain a complete face-to-face written evaluation and recommendation by a qualified rehabilitation professional for consumers of prescribed wheeled mobility devices.

     (4)  On and after July 1, 2007, a one-hundred-eighty-day grace period shall be provided to organizations that provide prescribed wheeled mobility devices, if the qualified rehabilitation professional on staff ceases to be employed and the organization has no other qualified rehabilitation professional on staff.

     (5)  (A)  On and after July 1, 2007, all organizations making available prescribed wheeled mobility devices to consumers in this state shall have a repair service department or a contract with a repair service department located in the state. The organization shall have a qualified technician with knowledge and capability of servicing the product provided to the consumer.

          (B)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, “consumer” means an individual for whom a wheeled mobility device, manual or powered, has been prescribed by a physician, and required for use for a period of six (6) months or more.

     (6)  On or after July 1, 2007, delivery and final fitting of a wheeled mobility device shall be determined by a qualified rehabilitation professional. This subsection (d) exempts wheeled mobility devices under category Group 1 medicare codes.

[Acts 1995, ch. 244, §§ 5-7; 1997, ch. 26, § 1; 2003, ch. 121, § 3; 2007, ch. 377, §§ 3, 4.]