There are many levels of outpatient care programs. In some, therapists come to the home to deliver therapy; others may require the survivor to go into a facility. Either way, it will be a therapist and not a doctor who is involved with the survivor and family caregiver on a day-to-day basis. At this stage of recovery, your survivor may only see a physiatrist every two or three months to evaluate progress and (it is hoped) write another prescription for therapy.

NOTE: For almost a decade, Congress has tried to impose strict caps on Medicare coverage for outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy. When first introduced in 1997, the cap was $1,500 each for physical and speech therapy. However, public outrage prompted Congress to pass a moratorium on implementation of the caps, not once but twice. The second moratorium expired in December 2005, and Medicare immediately imposed a $1,740 cap on outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology benefits combined. Fortunately, therapy for stroke was given an automatic exemption.