THERAPY CAPS. Medicare patients can spend no more $1,810 a year on speech and physical therapy and $1,810 on occupational therapy each year while recovering from an illness. But there are exceptions to these so-called "therapy caps."
If you’ve had a stroke and you need more therapy, for instance, Medicare has had a process for side-stepping the caps and getting extra services. That was due to expire at the beginning of this month.
The new legislation reinstates the exceptions process for speech, physical, and occupational therapy for another 18 months, making it possible for patients with serious illnesses to get needed help regaining essential functions.
PROTECTING SENIORS FROM MARKETING ABUSES. I wrote earlier this year about new regulations proposed by federal officials for private plans that operate under Medicare. Here’s a link to that post.
The new Medicare legislation requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make good on its promise and come out with new regulations for so-called Medicare Advantage plans this fall.
Among the practices that will be prohibited, according to the legislation: cold calling, door-to-door sales in apartment buildings and senior living facilities, sales pitches in doctors’ offices or at educational events, and cross-selling of non-health care products, according to materials from the chairman’s office of the Senate Finance Committee.
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2008/07/how-the-new-med.html
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