WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)-December 7, 2017
By: Rosemary Piser
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced bipartisan legislation, Preserving Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act,’ to support rehabilitation facilities that lead the nation in research, serve the highest need patients, and provide the most medical training to students. U.S. Representatives Pete Olson (R-TX-22) and Gene Green (D-TX-29) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives today.
Senator Durbin said, “Facilities like the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago are leading the nation in bringing doctors and top researchers together to provide the highest quality care for patients with complex conditions. This bill would help provide sustainable funding so that the most innovative institutions in the nation can continue to drive the field in research, treat complex patients, and educate the next generation of researchers and medical professionals.”
Senator Cassidy said, “This is about giving hope to people who have suffered brain injury, nerve damage, or other complex conditions. This bill will support the doctors and researchers who are providing the best evidence based treatments and help them share their knowledge with others so that more patients return to wholeness.”
In the United States, there are more than 1,100 Medicare-certified inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
Specifically, the ‘Preserving Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act’:
- Defines “Rehabilitation Innovation Center” as a rehabilitation facility that provides care for patients with highly complex conditions, conducts multidisciplinary rehabilitation research, and sees a high number of Medicare beneficiaries.
- Calls on the independent Medicare Payment Advisory Committee to conduct a study on the adequacy of current payment rates for Rehabilitation Innovation Centers. As our federal health care system moves away from the fee-for-service payment model toward more value-based care, the study directed by this legislation will inform how Rehabilitation Innovation Centers should be reimbursed.
Source: www.durbin.senate.gov
