How to Read a Service Authorization
In the Service Authorization example below, there are 384 units listed for budget year 07/01/2023-06/30/2024. This means 96 hours of Recreational Therapy can be provided for this individual from the dates 07/01/2023-06/30/2024. This breaks down to roughly 1.75 hours (1 hour and 45 minutes) total of in-person and documentation time per week from 07/01/2023-06/30/2024.
Units on a Service Authorization
On a service authorization you will see “Current Units” and “Unit Size”. For Recreational Therapy, units are counted by the quarter hour meaning 15 minutes is equal to 1 unit. It takes 4 units to equal 1 hour of Recreational Therapy. You as the therapist and the individual must decide how many hours a week you will be providing Recreational Therapy to accommodate both of your schedules, as well as what their budget allows. When calculating units to request, be sure to include documentation time in this total. There will be more information on documentation time in the “Evaluation” section of training!
