COVID-19 Update to Telehealth Guidance on CLASS Professional and Specialized Therapies

March 9, 2022

The following CLASS professional and specialized therapy services are temporarily available by telehealth.

  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech and language pathology
  • Recreational therapy
  • Music therapy
  • Behavior support
  • Dietary services
  • Cognitive rehabilitation therapy

This is effective March 15, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2021.

The Office of Civil Rights has relaxed HIPAA requirements to allow video for telehealth services. Texas Medicaid recognizes OCR's HIPAA enforcement discretion for telehealth platform requirements.

Therapies must have a treatment plan. The goals and outcomes must support being provided through telehealth. Add the revision of therapy hours to an IPC and authorized by HHSC per the process outlined in IL 2020-46 (PDF).

Acceptable telehealth formats are synchronous audiovisual interaction or asynchronous store and forward technology. Use these with synchronous audio interaction between the client and the distant site provider.

Therapies not eligible for delivery by telehealth are:

  • Massage therapy
  • Hippotherapy
  • Therapeutic horseback riding
  • Aquatic therapy

Email your program policy mailbox with questions about this alert.