The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (S 46/HR 43), introduced
January 6, 2009, would permanently repeal the Medicare beneficiary
therapy caps. Here's what sponsors of the bill said at its introduction
on the first day of the 111th Congress.
Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
"Therapy is necessary to effectively manage and confront many
age-related diseases, such as stroke, Parkinson's, and congenital heart
failure. Every year in the Senate we debate this issue of therapy caps,
and this year needs to be the last."
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
"I am concerned that Medicare beneficiaries recovering from a stroke,
hip fracture, or other disease or condition requiring extensive therapy
will not be able to receive all of the services they need under this
cap. Moreover, Medicare patients will have an incentive to seek services
in the hospital outpatients setting, which are not subject to the cap
and are more expensive."
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
"Therapy caps can preclude seniors from getting the care they need to
maintain a healthy quality of life. I will continue my work in the 111th
Congress to find a legislative solution so that patients receive the
quality care they need without undue burden. As a nation, we have a
responsibility to protect and support our seniors, and I remain
committed to fighting on their behalf."
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
"Rehabilitation therapies are critical to helping so many Americans
recover from injuries and debilitating illnesses. We should be helping
seniors get the therapy they need so they can resume their normal lives,
not putting up road blocks to their recoveries. Year after year,
Congress has shown its disapproval for these arbitrary therapy caps with
short-term fixes. We must take action now to eliminate them
permanently."
Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
"Everyday, Americans who suffer from debilitating diseases like
Parkinson's or are recovering from serious injury need medical therapy
in order to reach their highest functional level. It is outrageous that
in addition to focusing on their rehabilitation, they also have to worry
about whether they will exceed Medicare's monetary caps. These arbitrary
caps on physical, occupational and speech therapy are incompatible with
the goal of recovering these patients' ability to function normally in
their everyday lives."
Representative Mike Ross (D-AR)
"Congress has a responsibility to pass a permanent solution for therapy
caps to ensure our nation's consumers continue to receive much-needed
treatments. I am proud to join with my colleagues as an original
cosponsor of this important legislation to provide long-term relief to
patients and health care providers, and I will continue to advocate for
its passage in the House of Representatives."
Representative Roy Blunt (R-MO)
"Congress has voted time and again to temporarily fix an unintended
consequence of legislation passed more than a decade ago. It's about
time that we pass a permanent fix so people on Medicare can receive the
therapy their doctors recommend without having to worry about arbitrary
payment caps."