Washington D.C. -- The American Hospital Association (AHA), American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA), and the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) urged Congress to enact important legislation that would preserve Medicare beneficiaries' access to critical inpatient rehabilitation services before a July 1st deadline that would further restrict their access.

The legislation -- "Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act" (H.R. 1459/S. 543) -- would do so by extending enforcement of the 75 Percent Rule at its current level. In urging passage of the legislation, the Associations thanked the bill's current cosponsors, who comprise nearly half of all Members of Congress.

The bill would prevent the 75 Percent Rule from further eroding access to inpatient rehabilitation care for people with disabilities, seniors, and others who require this level of care. The 75 Percent Rule is a Medicare requirement established in 1983 that has been significantly narrowed but never revised to capture conditions now treatable due to medical advancements. When fully phased-in, 75 percent of patients discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation hospital or unit must be treated for one of 13 conditions. The threshold currently is set at 60 percent but is scheduled to rise to 65 percent on July 1, 2007 and 75 percent in July 2008.
"Patients should receive rehabilitation in the most appropriate setting of care. Regrettably, the 75 Percent Rule, as currently constituted, undermines that goal and puts seniors at risk. The 75 Percent Rule's arbitrary patient 'lottery' must be permanently fixed for the benefit of all patients -- Medicare and non-Medicare alike," said Kathleen Yosko, President and CEO of Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and AMRPA Board Chair.

"The 75 Percent Rule is severely restricting access to inpatient rehabilitation for patients who need this specialized setting," said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA President and CEO. "Our mission is to provide our patients with the best care at the right time and in the most appropriate setting. The 75 Percent Rule is putting a stranglehold on access to this vital care, making it more difficult for frail, elderly patients to get the services they need."

Due to the 75 Percent Rule, many appropriate patients previously served in rehabilitation hospitals and units are being denied access to clinically intense and promising inpatient rehabilitation services that are both medically necessary and would lead to superior patient outcomes in a shorter period of time than other settings might accomplish.

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