On July 31, 2018, the IRF Final Rule was issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which will take effect FY 2020. In addition to the updates to IRF payment rates and other measures designed to streamline care and reduce inefficiencies, one of the most important takeaways from the Final Rule relates to the removal of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™) Instrument and Associated Function Modifiers from the IRF-Patient Assessment Instrument (PAI) and Refinements to the Case Mix Classification System. Read Full Post

Michael Currier, 75, a veteran university professor with three doctoral degrees, came to Mercy Rehab Hospital after several frustrating months of rehospitalizations. Read Full Post

A retired member of the prestigious Blue Angels flight team just recently came to the Palmetto Health Tuomey Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU) to recognize the teams that cared for his mother. Read Full Post

Clinicians at Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, recently undertook a study to identify the impairments that patients suffer after a stroke utilizing a racing simulator. Read Full Post

Most therapists experience patients who do not want to engage in care from time to time. These guidelines help therapists adjust their approach and encourage a patient to actively participate in treatment. Read Full Post

Researchers in Germany have discovered that people who've suffered a stroke benefit from intensive speech therapy months after the incident. Read Full Post

A corrective statement to clarify Medicare coverage of therapy delivered in a skilled nursing facility or in the home setting was approved recently by a federal court. The statement, to be used as part of the settlement in the Jimmo v. Sebelius case, is designed to clearly explain that therapy to maintain a person's condition or slow down his or her decline is covered under Medicare. Read Full Post

Learn how partnering with an experienced rehab provider can position your facility for success in the new value-based environment.

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A recent ruling attempts to change the perception that beneficiaries are only eligible for therapy coverage if their health is improving. The ruling is related to a 2013 settlement that established that improvement is not one of the criteria for coverage.

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As part of the Affordable Care Act, in recent years Medicare and Medicaid have worked with federal government agencies, states, patient organizations and others to identify and prevent health conditions that have caused long-term care residents to be unnecessarily hospitalized. As a result, we have seen a significant decline in avoidable hospitalizations over the last several years, according to analysis released by CMS.

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