1996 OPEN FORUM Abstracts
Current Governmental Initiatives and Their impact on Subacute Care
Cheryl A. West, MHA Sunday, November 3, 1996
As managed care policies take hold, and the financial pressures mount to discharge hospital patients into alternate care sites, there is a tremendous growth in services and reimbursement to non-hospital facilities.
HCFA, the government overseer of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, grows increasingly alarmed over the raise in billable services under the Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) benefit. Of particular concern to HCFA is the rapid expansion of ancillary services (including PT, OT, ST, RT and lab) provided to SNF patients. HCFA is planning both short term and long range "solutions" to this "problem". This presentation will discuss the on-going actions regarding RT transfer agreements, third-party management companies, and salary equivalencies. It will also touch on the long range proposals under discussion, such as PPS, managed care options, and long term care insurance.