Group knocks CMS' long-term acute-care proposal

A lobbying group for the long-term acute-care hospital industry said it strongly opposes a proposed regulation that would stem development of long-term acute-care hospitals within existing general hospitals. The regulation would require long-term acute-care hospitals to have separate ownership and draw no more than 25% of admissions from host hospitals. In comments on the proposed regulation, which was issued in May, the Acute Long Term Hospital Association said that the CMS would do better to develop patient-based criteria. "The basis for Medicare payment should be medical necessity, not the location of the hospital making the transfer," the group said. ALTHA represents more than 160 long-term acute-care hospitals in 29 states. Roughly half of all long-term acute-care hospitals would not be able to meet the proposed CMS requirements, ALTHA said. -- by Julie Piotrowski