Speech therapist Phyllis Benson has to repay the federal government more than $3,300 for care she provided to patients. The federal government caps at $3,700 the amount any patient can get in benefits for physical, speech or occupational therapy. Medicare will pay for "reasonable and necessary" services beyond $3,700, but those claims are subject to review. Benson said she spent hours on paperwork to make sure she properly documented why her patients needed the care she provided. One patient recovering from a stroke needed therapy to resume normal daily living activities. Another man had shown early signs of memory and thinking problems.
