Will highlight his legislation to help CAHs in Iowa and nationwide
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack announced that he will continue his tour of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) across the state, TODAY, FRIDAY, January 22nd. Loebsack will meet with hospital administrators and staff to discuss legislation he helped get signed into law, which prevents Medicare’s enforcement of unreasonable and inflexible direct supervision rules for outpatient therapy services at CAHs and other small, rural hospitals for calendar year 2015. This legislation was introduced this summer, passed the House and Senate this fall and was signed into law on December 18th. There are 1,332 CAHs across the country, including 82 in Iowa. During the tour, Dave will make stops in Chariton, Corydon, Osceola, Knoxville, Mt. Pleasant, Fairfield and DeWitt. Media are invited to attend all events.
Friday, January 22
DeWitt
Noon
Genesis Medical Center
1118 11th St.
Examples of direct supervision rules for outpatient therapy services:
· Application of cast to a finger
· Blood transfusions
· Application of a splint to a finger
· Demonstration and/or evaluation of a patient utilizing a nebulizer or metered dose inhaler
· Alcohol and/or substance abuse (other than tobacco) structured assessment and brief intervention (such as advising of health risks and counseling for 15-30 mins)
· Pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise of one hour per session – up to two sessions per day
What They Are Saying:
American Hospital Association: On behalf of our more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and our nearly 43,000 individual members, the American Hospital Association (AHA) is pleased to express our support for the your legislation, H.R. 2878, which would extend through calendar year (CY) 2015 the enforcement delay on direct supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services provided in critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals with 100 or fewer beds. Your legislation provides immediate and critical relief to small, rural hospitals and ensures patients in these communities will continue to have access to outpatient therapeutic services. As you know, these services have always been provided by licensed, skilled professionals under the overall direction of a physician and with the assurance of rapid assistance from a team of caregivers, including a physician.
National Rural Health Association: The National Rural Health Association (NRHA), a non-profit membership organization with more than 21,000 members in rural America, strongly applauds the introduction H.R. 2878 to place a moratorium on CMS’ enforcement of direct physician supervision requirements for outpatient therapy services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural hospitals for 2015. Your legislation will provide temporary relief that will go far in relieving the regulatory burden of direct supervision of outpatient therapeutic services for rural hospitals.
