Matt Mesibov, Clinical PT Specialist, led a team of PTs from the MN Physical Therapy Association on April 9th, 2015 to meet with Senator Klobuchar’s staff (Megan Lahr, Deputy Director for Outreach and Operations) to discuss a permanent repeal of the outpatient therapy cap. There is an effort to create an amendment to permanently repeal the therapy cap as part of a larger bill. This larger bill would permanently repeal the SGR which, if not repealed, would create a 21% cut in Medicare B reimbursement. Unfortunately, the senate voted 58-42 in favor and we needed 60 to get the repeal amendment attached to the SGR bill. Strategical advocacy begins again – we will see a repeal of the cap!
Recent News
McKnight News Article Quotes Centrex Rehab’s President & CEO, Kristy Brown
An article in McKnight’s Long Term Care News section featured a quote from Centrex Rehab’s CEO, Kristy Brown. The article is “Reinventing Rehab” by John Andrews and discusses the key areas of focus when establishing a rehab center in a skilled nursing facility including prioritizing functionality over aesthetics, when to replace equipment, and more. Kristy Brown’s quote is below and the full article can be read here.
Specialists from the rehab market have myriad ideas about what skilled nursing facilities should be doing.
While décor and aesthetics play a critical role in attracting prospective residents, their families and referral sources, rehab authorities say the true focus should be functional and not strictly cosmetic.
“Marketing staff and administrators may wish to make the rehab center look more appealing … This is fine as long as therapists are consulted and provided with the most functional tools that offer the best possible results for those who use them,” says Kristy Brown, CEO of Centrex Rehab.
Kristy Brown on McKnight’s Blog, “Advocating For Those Who Need Us”
Kristy Brown, President & CEO of Centrex Rehab, was featured in the McKnight’s Long-Term Care & Assisted Living Blog column “Advocating For Those Who Need Us”. An excerpt can be read below and the full article seen here:
Having been in the therapy field in a variety of settings for almost twenty-five years, the term “Skilled Maintenance Therapy” is quite common to me. When I first started in the field, it was typical to provide therapy for people in skilled nursing facilities who needed to maintain their skills – especially through Medicaid.
As time passed, it seemed the focus of therapy turned more toward sub-acute patients while insurance companies were becoming less inclined to pay for skilled maintenance and in some cases, did not pay at all. It became clear the industry was changing. Because we were asked to treat more patients with increasingly acute needs, I for one, probably became distracted by the new challenges these patients presented.
However, insurance companies continued to make changes, providing coverage for a limited time even for patients in acute care – but only as long as they were making gains from the skilled care provided by therapists…
“When is Telehealth the Right Option?”, Kristy Brown & Centrex Rehab on McKnight’s Blog
Kristy Brown, CEO, was featured in the McKnight’s Long-Term Care & Assisted Living Blog column “When is Telehealth the Right Option”. An excerpt is included below:
As providers, patients, and payers look for more cost-effective and efficient ways to provide health care, some are turning to telehealth as an option. Telehealth involves using electronic communication to provide healthcare information and services to a remote location. These services can include physical therapy.
Telehealth has developed mostly in rural areas as a response to long distances between patients and providers, but is also being considered in other geographic and clinical settings. It includes telemedicine consultations with physicians and nurses and telerehab consultations with physical, occupational and speech therapists.
Minnesota Healthcare News Feature on Exercise for Aging Adults
Debbie Hanka, PT, DPT, GCS, CEEAA, Clinical Program and Education Specialist at Centrex is featured in the most recent edition of Minnesota Healthcare News. The article features information on how to become a certified expert on exercise for aging adults (CEEAA), common conditions that can be addressed by a CEEAA physical therapist, ways to reduce the need for physical therapy as one ages, and more. To read the article click here! The article is featured on pages 10 and 11.
Centrex Rehab on McKnight’s Blog, “Getting Noticed by ACOs”
Centrex Rehab and Kristy Brown, CEO, were featured in the McKnight’s Long-Term Care & Assisted Living Blog column “Getting Noticed by ACOs”. An excerpt is included below:
How do providers position themselves so that ACOs will notice them? My advice is to first become knowledgeable about ACO objectives. Each ACO is trying to determine the best approach to running the organization in an effective manner. This includes looking at health care options for older people that they may not have known about in the past. In fact, accountable care organizations are now required to have much greater understanding of all services used by Medicare recipients.
Skilled nursing facilities are a prime example. Accountable care organizations, which tend to be based around a hospital system, now need to understand what happens in an SNF, including the costs it generates. Learning about SNFs allows ACOs to determine if an SNF is the best, most cost-effective option for a particular individual.
