Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

The American Health Care Association spoke out this week after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it is implementing a new payment reduction policy for therapy services because of a “duplication in the practice expense when therapy services are furnished together.”

AHCA contends that this policy, also known as the multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR), hurts Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities the most. The group argues that therapy disciplines are different and distinct under Medicare law. The policy, AHCA says, runs counter to the access to therapy Medicare guarantees, BNA reported.

In conjunction with this disclosure, CMS released a final 2011 physician fee schedule that cuts Medicare reimbursements to doctors by 24.9%, under Part B. Also known as the “doc fix,” the policy requires the rate to be put in place by Dec. 1, and re-entered Jan. 1, 2011. Doctors hope that Congress will pass legislation overturning this reduction.