Legal Resources

This page provides an archive of selected legal resources and historical industry group responses to proposed legislation.   Check back regularly for updates on important Federal and state legislation, statutes and regulations impacting LTACHs, as well as comments from leading industry groups, experts and members of Congress.

CMS Resources and LTACH Legislation

• CMS Long Term Care Website
• June 19, 2009: CMS Transmittal 1758 re. Correction to FY 2009 Correction to MS-LTC-DRG Weights
• May 1, 2009: Proposed Rule for Rates for Long Term Care Hospitals for Rate Year 2010
• Apr. 29, 2009: Senate Finance Committee Option Paper.  Transforming the Health Care Delivery System: Proposals to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Health Care Costs
• Apr. 29, 2009: Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Improvement Act of 2009 (S. 935)
• Apr. 27, 2009: Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Improvement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2124)
• Mar. 27, 2009: CMS Transmittal 466 re. LTACH Provisions of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Feb. 17, 2009: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (see Sec. 4502 for Technical Corrections to MMSEA)
• Feb. 2009: RTI Final Report-Examining Post-Acute Care Relationships In an Integrated Hospital System
• Jan. 2009:  LTCH Payment Adjustment Policy Facts Sheet
• Aug. 7, 2008: Update to CMS Program Integrity Manual re. Transition of Responsibilities for Medical Reviews from QIOs and Medicare Learning Network Matters document
• June 13, 2008:  Memorandum to State Survey Agency Directors
• May 22, 2008:  Changes for Long Term Care Hospitals Required by Certain Provisions of the MMSEA for Rate Year 2009
• May 9, 2008:  Prospective Payment System for Long Term Care Hospitals for Rate Year 2009
• May 6, 2008:  Changes for Long Term Care Hospitals Required by Certain Provisions of the MMSEA for Rate Year 2009
• Apr. 30, 2008:  Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates
• Jan. 29, 2008:  Proposed Prospective Payment System for Long-Term Care Hospitals for Rate Year 2009
• Jan. 22, 2008:  CMS Press Release re. Proposed Rate Year 2009 Payment and Policy Changes for Long Term Care Hospitals 
• Dec. 27, 2007: Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007
• Aug. 22, 2007:  Final Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2008 Rates
• July 5, 2007:  Prospective Payment System for LTCH Rate Year 2008: Annual Payment Rate Updates, and Policy Changes; Corrections
• May 11, 2007:  LTCH Prospective Payment System Final Rule: Annual Payment Rates and Policy Changes for Rate Year 2008
• May 3, 2007:  Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2008 Rates
• Feb. 8, 2007:  CMS Manual Transmittal Notice – Same Day Transfers
• Feb. 1, 2007:  LTCH Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule: Annual Payment Rates and Policy Changes for Rate Year 2008
• Jan. 25, 2007:  CMS 2008 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Jan. 2007:  RTI Report, Phase 2
• Nov. 9, 2006:  CMS Post-Acute Care Reform Plan
• Oct. 26, 2006:  Inside CMS Reports on LTACH Legislation
• Aug. 18, 2006:  Final Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2007 Rates
• July 21, 2006:  CMS Issues Changes to Common Working File Interrupted Stay Edits for LTACHs
• July 17, 2006:  Inside CMS Reports on ALTHA Public Policy Proposals re. Patient Admission Criteria
• June 15, 2006:  CMS Issues Manual Instructions for LTACH 2007 Rates
• May 12, 2006:  Final Prospective Payment System for Long-Term Care Hospitals for Rate Year 2007
• May 2, 2006:  CMS Issues Summary of New Short Stay Outlier Policy
  May 2, 2006:  CMS Issues Press Release re. Rate Changes for Rate Year 2007
• Apr. 25, 2006:  Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2007 Rates
• Jan. 27, 2006:  Proposed Prospective Payment System for Long-Term Care Hospitals for Rate Year 2007
• Aug. 12, 2005:  Final Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2006 Rates
• May 6, 2005:  LTACH PPS Final Rule: Annual Payment Rate Updates and Policy Changes for Rate Year 2006
• May 4, 2005:  Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2006 Rates
• Feb. 3, 2005:  LTCH PPS Proposed Rule: Annual Payment Rate Updates and Policy Changes for RY 2006
• Feb. 2005: RTI Report, Phase 1

Congressional Hearings

• Mar. 15, 2006:  Ways & Means Subcommittee Holds LTACH Hearing
• June 2005:  Ways & Means Committee Convenes Hearing into Post-acute Care

Professional and Industry Group Comments

• July 6, 2009:  AHA Article re. 2009 AHA-sponsired LTACH Advocacy Days
• June 29, 2009:  FAH Files CMS Comment Letter re. RY 2010 Proposed Rules and FY 2009 Interim Final Rule with Comment Period
• June 15, 2009: Overview of Framework for Post-Acute Reform (Industry Groups’ Consenus Whitepaper)
• May 15, 2009: ALTHA Letter to Senate Finance Committee re. Post-Acute Bundling
• May 5, 2009:  ALTHA Press Rease re. Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Improvement Act of 2009
• Apr. 2009: RehabCare Position Paper re. Post-Acute Bundling
• Jul. 21, 2008:  NALTH Files CMS Comment Letter 
• Jul. 21, 2008:  AHA Files CMS Comment Letter re. MMSEA 25% Rule
• July 18, 2008:  ALTHA Files CMS Comment Letter re. MMSEA 25% Rule
• Mar. 20, 2008:  ALTHA Files CMS Comment Letter re. 2009 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Mar. 20, 2008:  AHA Files CMS Comment Letter re. 2009 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Dec. 23, 2007:  ALTHA Press Release on Congressional Passage of MMSEA
• Sept. 26, 2007: ALTHA Files Comments on “CARE” Instrument
• June 21, 2007:  Avalere Cost Estimate of Consensus Proposal
• June 20, 2007:  ALTHA-AHA-Federation-NALTH Consensus Proposal
• Mar. 28, 2007:  ALTHA Statement re CMS Comment Period
• Mar. 26, 2007:  AHA Files Comment Letter with CMS re. 2008 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Mar. 22, 2007:  ALTHA Files Official Comment Letter with CMS re. 2008 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Jan. 29, 2007:  ALTHA Press Release re. 2008 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Jan. 11, 2007:  Modern Healthcare article re. RTI Report, Phase 2
• Jan. 10, 2007:  Report on MedPAC Post-Acute Recommendations
• Jan. 3, 2007:  ALTHA and FAH Offer Margin Data to MedPAC
• Jan. 2, 2007:  ALTHA Press Release re. RTI Report, Phase 2
• Oct. 11, 2006:  ALTHA Urges Support of the English-Pomeroy Bill re. Certification Criteria for LTACHs
• Oct. 5, 2006:  Official Version of English-Pomeroy Bill (HR 6236) re. Certification Criteria for LTACHs
• Sept. 29, 2006:  Kindred CEO Paul Diaz on English-Pomeroy Bill re Certification Criteria for LTACHs
• Sept. 28, 2006:  Select CEO Robert Ortenzio on English-Pomeroy Bill re Certification Criteria for LTACHs
• Sept. 28, 2006:  ALTHA Supports English-Pomeroy Bill re. Certification Criteria for LTACHs 
• Aug. 15, 2006:  Annals of Internal Medicine Considers Role of Quality Improvement Organizations
• June 23, 2006:  ALTHA Responds to NALTH Legislation re. Patient Admission Criteria
• Mar. 10, 2006:  ALTHA Files Official Comment Letter with CMS re. 2007 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• Jan. 20, 2006:  ALTHA Issues Statement Regarding CMS 2007 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• June 2005:  ALTHA Submits Inpatient PPS Comments to CMS

MedPAC Releases

• Jan.  8, 2009:  MedPAC Public Hearing Transcript and Slide Presentation Discussing Adequacy of Medicare Payment
• Dec. 4, 2008:  MedPAC Meeting Brief and Slide Presentation Discussing Adequacy of Medicare Payment
• Oct. 1, 2008:  LTACH Payment Basics
• July 21, 2008:  MedPAC Comments on Interim Final Rules re. MMSEA
• June 1, 2008:  MedPAC Data Book (Sec. 9)
• Mar. 8, 2008:  MedPAC Report to Congress
• Mar. 3, 2008:   MedPAC Payment Policies Related to LTACHs (Ch. 2G) 
• Mar. 26, 2007:   MedPAC Files Comment Letter with CMS re. 2008 LTACH PPS Proposed Rule
• July 1, 2006:   MedPAC Releases Chart Book with Post Acute Care Facility Data
• Mar. 20, 2006:   MedPAC Says CMS Short-Stay Outlier Proposal is “Too Severe”
• Mar. 1, 2006:   MedPAC Releases Annual Report (Chapter on LTACH Care)
• Jan. 10, 2006:   MedPAC Recommends No Updates for Post-Acute Care
• June 2004:   MedPAC Recommends Certification Criteria

General Legal Resources

• State-by-State Matrix of CON Requirements (updated Oct. 29, 2008)
• List of LTACHs by State (as of July 2008)