Rehab Continuum Report Archives – November 1, 2003
November 1, 2003
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New 75% rule could be disastrous for inpatient rehab, providers say
Rehab advocates have seen the future of inpatient rehab in a new proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and they say it doesnt look bright. Comments on CMS proposed changes in the criteria for classifying hospitals as inpatient rehabilitation facilities range from disappointing to disastrous. -
Providers say draft policy could hurt
The rehab community by and large considers the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal to change the 75% rule a big disappointment. But providers and advocates are even more worried about the draft Local Medicare Review Policy for inpatient rehabilitation admission that three fiscal intermediaries recently proposed. -
Therapy cap freeze could offer relief
Senate and House conferees on the Medicare prescription drug bill agreed Sept. 9 to include a one-year moratorium on the $1,590 outpatient therapy cap for 2004. But dont give a sigh of relief yet. The moratorium was among the less controversial items discussed in conference to clear the way for issues still in dispute, which means that if the entire bill doesnt go forward, neither does the moratorium. -
Investigate slips and falls, identify ways to prevent
Youre busy with a dozen other issues when you get a phone call notifying you that a visitor has fallen in the lobby and broken her arm. Do you chalk it up to just another fall and get back to work, or do you spring into action? The answer may depend on how well youve prepared for the moment and how seriously you take slips and falls in your institution. -
One-size-fits-all ergo rule put to the vote
Once again, a controversial ergonomics rule has come under fire; but this time, voters in Washington state will be the ones to decide whether to keep the rule or repeal it. The outcome of Initiative 841 on the Nov. 4 ballot could have implications for ergonomics efforts across the nation. -
Get a handle on claims denials with database
If you think your hospital doesnt have a problem with denials, then you arent doing anything to track them, says Christine Collins, CHAM, director of patient access for Brigham & Womens Hospital in Boston. The heart of successful denial management, she emphasizes, is a denial database that categorizes the bills that are denied and the reasons why.