NASSAU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER HOSTS SENATOR CHARLES SCHUMER’S PRESS CONFERENCE ON MEDICARE RULE AFFECTING LOCAL REHABILITATION UNITS
East Meadow, NY….United States Senator Charles Schumer held a press conference at Nassau University Medical Center on September 4th, to call attention to the Medicare’s new 75% rule that threatens to shutter local rehabilitation units by drastically limiting the number of local patients able to receive short-term treatment.
Standing with patient Joseph Mayo, Arthur Gianelli, president/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation, Steve Walerstein, MD, Senior VP for Medical Affairs and Medical Director at Nassau University Medical Center, Lyn Weiss, MD, Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Nassau University Medical Center, Kevin Dahill, President and CEO of the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, Gwen O’Shea, CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of LI, Nassau County legislator Norma Gonsalves and scores of affected staff and patients, Senator Schumer vowed “to fight the draconian Medicare rule that cuts at the core of medical needs of Long Island’s aging population and could endanger lives and cost hospitals millions by denying inpatient treatment for hip, knee and joint rehabilitation patients.”
The new regulation, set to take effect next year, will require that 75 percent of patients admitted to rehabilitation units in Long Island hospitals and across the nation must have at least one of thirteen pre-determined medical conditions, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, or fracture of the femur, in order for the hospital to receive federal funding. The new rule will drastically reduce the number of patients able to receive high-quality, short-term rehabilitation care while recovering from common medical procedures such as hip and knee replacements, and pulmonary or cardiac surgery. In addition, with fewer patients to fill these hospital beds, these centers will struggle to fill their patient quotas and stay financially afloat.
Mr. Gianelli stated: “I am concerned that the disabled population of Nassau County will not be receiving the care that they need because of financial limitation placed by the government on the care of those patients needing rehabilitation.”
Photo left to right: Gail Mayo, RN emergency department nurse, Joseph Mayo, rehabilitation patient at NUMC, Lyn Weiss, MD, chair physical medicine and rehabilitation at NUMC, Steve Walerstein, MD, senior vice president for medical affairs and medical director at Nassau Health Care Corporation, US Senator Charles Schumer, Arthur A. Gianelli, president/CEO Nassau Health Care Corporation, Perry Stein, MD chief physical medicine and rehabilitation division at Mercy Hospitals, Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves.
