Concerns Also Expressed About Impact of '08 Budget on Medicare Recipients
in Need of Medical Rehabilitation Care
CRYSTAL CITY, Va., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Researchers
presented findings today at the State of the Science Symposium on
Post-Acute Rehabilitation in Crystal City demonstrating that the setting
for rehabilitative care directly influences the outcome for patients
recovering from strokes, joint replacement operations, and other
conditions. The findings highlighted the need for evidence-based research
to drive public-policy decisions for Medicare recipients in need of
post-acute rehabilitation services.
Researchers also expressed concern about the impact of the proposed
2008 budget on Medicare beneficiaries who are in need of rehabilitative
care to recover from a stroke, joint replacement surgery, hip fracture, and
other illnesses.
The findings were discussed at a press conference today at the opening
of the symposium in Crystal City, Virginia. The symposium opened with
remarks from Senator Bob Dole.
"Recently, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) challenged the
rehabilitation sector to come up with solid research on which to base
public policy decisions. This symposium reflects the hard work and serious
effort rehabilitation scientists have made to meet that challenge," said
Senator Bob Dole.
"The President's budget proposal includes potentially devastating
changes in the payment system for five disabling conditions. This further
demonstrates the lack of understanding about the differences between
nursing home and hospital-based programs for medical rehabilitation care,"
said Dr. Bruce Gans, Treasurer of the American Medical Rehabilitation
Providers Association, and Chief Medical Officer of the Kessler Institute
for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey.
Scientists also discussed the importance of using research findings in
making public-policy decisions, such as the so called "75 percent rule,"
promulgated by CMS to distinguish inpatient rehabilitation hospitals from
acute care facilities.
"Unfortunately, Medicare policy makers chose to use anecdotal
information rather than hard, science-based research when they revised the
75 percent rule several years ago. The consequence of this rule has been to
severely limit access to rehabilitation care for Medicare recipients," said
Gans.
"We hope this symposium serves as a catalyst for expanded research on
post-acute care rehabilitation. There is a great risk that patients' access
to high quality rehabilitation will be limited, that services will be
diminished, and that quality of life will suffer if policy is based on
anecdotes and conjecture rather than solid evidence," said Dr. Allen W.
Heinemann, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the
Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and Director of the
Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at the Rehabilitation Institute
of Chicago.
"If a stroke patient and a brain tumor patient both have left-sided
paralysis, it doesn't make sense for Medicare to treat them differently.
Even if the brain tumor patient and her doctor are convinced a spot in a
rehab hospital provides the best road to a full and complete recovery, the
admission choice could be blocked by Medicare rules because admitting the
patient could jeopardize a hospital's existence by pushing it out of
compliance with the 75% Rule. This barrier directly affects patients with
pulmonary, cardiac, cancer and other disease-related problems. Of course it
indirectly affects all patients if the hospital itself were to lose its
standing as a rehab hospital because it admitted too many of the "wrong
kind" of patients," said Dr. Dexanne Clohan, a board-certified specialist
in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the chief medical officer of
HealthSouth.
The Symposium began on Monday, February 12 at 8:30 a.m. and concludes
on Tuesday, February 13 at 3:15. The entire conference, including
presentations, plenary sessions and break-out sessions, is open to the
press and available at
http://www.foundationforpmr.org/programs/postacuterehab.html.
SOURCE American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association
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Related links:
http://www.foundationforpmr.org/programs/postacuterehab.html/
CONTACT:
Susan Morris, +1-866-250-6600, for American
Medical Rehabilitation Providers
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