197.400. Definitions.
Definitions.
197.400. As used in sections 197.400 to 197.475, unless the contextotherwise requires, the following terms mean:
(1) "Council", the home health services advisory council created bysections 197.400 to 197.475;
(2) "Department", the department of health and senior services;
(3) "Home health agency", a public agency or private organization or asubdivision or subunit of an agency or organization that provides two or morehome health services at the residence of a patient according to a physician'swritten and signed plan of treatment;
(4) "Home health services", any of the following items and servicesprovided at the residence of the patient on a part-time or intermittent basis: nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, home healthaid, or medical social service;
(5) "Part-time or intermittent basis", the providing of home healthservices in an interrupted interval sequence on the average of not to exceedthree hours in any twenty-four-hour period;
(6) "Patient's residence", the actual place of residence of the personreceiving home health services, including institutional residences as well asindividual dwelling units;
(7) "Physician", a person licensed by the state board of registrationfor the healing arts pursuant to the provisions of chapter 334, RSMo, topractice in this state as a physician and surgeon;
(8) "Plan of treatment", a plan reviewed and signed as often asmedically necessary by a physician or podiatrist, not to exceed sixty days induration, prescribing items and services for an individual patient'scondition;
(9) "Podiatrist", a person licensed by the state board of podiatrypursuant to the provisions of chapter 330, RSMo, to practice in this state asa podiatrist;
(10) "Subunit" or "subdivision", any organizational unit of a largerorganization which can be clearly defined as a separate entity within thelarger structure, which can meet all of the requirements of sections 197.400to 197.475 independent of the larger organization, which can be heldaccountable for the care of patients it is serving, and which provides to allpatients care and services meeting the standards and requirements of sections197.400 to 197.475.
(L. 1983 H.B. 51 § 1, A.L. 1997 H.B. 642)