A Speech Device Request Needs More Than a Product Name
The evaluation must explain the selection
A patient needs help communicating. The family has researched a speech-generating device and arrives with a preferred model. The SLP's evaluation still needs to establish what will meet this patient's needs and support the equipment request.
Medicare's speech-generating device coverage determination requires a formal written SLP evaluation before delivery. It addresses communication impairment, alternatives, functional goals, the reason for selecting the device and accessories, and a training plan. The policy also requires the evaluation and recommendation to reach the treating practitioner before the device is ordered. These are Medicare equipment requirements, not a universal commercial authorization form. [1]
A report that names a device without explaining the choice can leave both the clinical team and equipment supplier without the information they need.
Describe the communication task the device must support
Start with the patient's daily communication needs and the findings from the evaluation. Explain how the selected access method and features relate to those findings. If alternatives were considered, record why they did or did not meet the need.
For example, a request for an accessory should describe the barrier it addresses. A product brochure describes what the accessory can do. The clinical report explains why this patient needs it.
Keep the report individualized when using supplier forms. Review prefilled language against the evaluation rather than accepting it because similar wording appeared in an approved request for someone else.
Separate the evaluation claim from equipment approval
ASHA identifies 92607 and its add-on code 92608 as codes for evaluation for a speech-generating AAC device. Use the applicable current reporting guidance for the actual evaluation rather than copying units from a supplier's paperwork. [2]
Track the professional evaluation and the equipment request separately. Payment for the SLP's service does not establish that the device has been authorized or delivered. Tell the family which part of the process is complete and which organization handles the next step.
Medicare's device policy also restricts financial relationships between the evaluating SLP and the device supplier. Review that requirement before entering a supplier arrangement; the policy says the evaluator cannot be the supplier's employee or have a financial relationship with it. [1]
Build time into operations for report completion, practitioner communication, and questions about missing information. A complete request gives the family a clearer path to equipment and reduces repeated paperwork that delays communication support.
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