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The Acute Long Term Hospital Association, a lobbying firm for the long-term acute-care hospital industry, said it opposes a proposed regulation by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid that would stymie development of long-term acute-care hospitals within existing general hospitals. ALTHA said roughly half of all long-term acute-care hospitals would not be able to meet the proposed requirements.

Under the regulation, long-term acute-care hospitals would have to have separate ownership. Also they cannot get more than 25% of admissions from host hospitals.

“The basis for Medicare payment should be medical necessity, not the location of the hospital making the transfer,” the association said.

ALTHA represents more than 160 long-term acute-care hospitals in 29 states.