Association Blasts CMS Rule Cutting Payments to Physical Therapists, Physicians

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—Medicare beneficiaries will see cuts in rehabilitation services next year as new policies released yesterday under the 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule create further challenges for providers, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) said in a release.

A new multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) will reduce payments by 7%-9% to therapy services, the APTA release said.

The final rule—scheduled to take effect Dec. 1—also includes a 23% cut to Medicare physician fees, to be followed a month later by a 1.9% reduction under final rules released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“The situation for Medicare beneficiaries is getting progressively worse with these short-sighted policies that attempt to control costs without regard to the complex needs of this population,” said APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD. “It is time to move away from policies that arbitrarily cut or limit services and move toward policies that ensure optimal function and recovery for each senior.”

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CMS Final Rule Includes 23% Cut to Medicare Physician Fees

Statement from APTA President Ward, Calls Policy ‘Unjustified’

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