Ask Your Members of Congress to Support Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation!
August 9, 2005

From the CCD Health Task Force:

The problems created by the so-called “75% Rule” for people with disabilities are being addressed by Congress and your help is needed to demonstrate strong support.

Recently, Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) in the Senate and Representatives Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Nita Lowey (D-NY), and John Tanner (D-TN) in the House introduced the “The Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 2005” (S. 1405, H.R. 3373). The legislation would freeze implementation of the controversial “75% Rule” at the 50% level and protect patient access to inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) care. Your help is needed throughout August!

ACTION:

Contact your Senators and House Member and ask them to support the 75% Rule legislation. Stress that the 75% Rule has resulted in far greater access problems than expected and continued implementation of this rule will further threaten quality of care and patient access to rehabilitation. Call the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121) to be connected to your Legislators’ offices.

BACKGROUND:

Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units provide specialized medical rehabilitation for persons who have had a significant injury, disease or condition, and/or are recovering from surgery or medical treatment. The “75% Rule,” as it currently stands, will require rehab hospitals to confine their admissions to an arbitrary percentage of patients who have one of 13 conditions, rather than basing admissions on true need of inpatient rehabilitation. Rehab hospitals not meeting these criteria will lose their certification as rehab hospitals and will likely close or dramatically shrink their programs. The policy was originally intended to help classify which facilities were considered rehab hospitals, but the rule will almost certainly have another effect as well – denying access to inpatient rehabilitation for people with disabilities.

HOW WILL THE 75% RULE IMPACT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

Individuals not diagnosed with one of the 13 “accepted” conditions may be turned away from rehab hospitals as these facilities attempt to meet their quotas (e.g. individuals with pulmonary disease or needing joint replacements).

Individuals with severe spinal cord and brain injuries may be kept for treatment in acute care hospital rehab units (in order for such units to meet their 75% Rule quotas) instead of being referred to specialized rehab centers.

The rule threatens the long-term stability of the rehab hospital system, thereby threatening access for all people with disabilities to intensive rehabilitative care.

Thank you in advance for your advocacy!

Please contact Peter Thomas or Emily Niederman at (202) 466-6550 with any questions.

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