LCD/NCD Portal

NCD170.2

 

MELODIC INTONATION THERAPY

 

Effective Date of this Version

• 3/11/1983

 

Benefit Category

• Outpatient Speech Language Pathology Services

• Note: This may not be an exhaustive list of all applicable Medicare benefit categories for this item or service.

 

Item/Service Description

• Melodic intonation therapy is a technique used in language rehabilitation.

• Its purpose is to teach aphasic patients to produce useful phrases by intoning them in a melodic pattern with strong rhythmic support.

• Limited studies by a few institutions show some benefit for a small number of nonfluent aphasic patients otherwise unresponsive to conventional therapy.

 

Indications and Limitations of Coverage

• Melodic intonation therapy is a covered service only for nonfluent aphasic patients unresponsive to conventional therapy, and only when the conditions for coverage of speech pathology services are met.

 

Cross Reference

• See the Medicare Benefit Policy, Chapter 15, §§220.1 and 230.6.

 

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