NEWS and EVENTS

21st Annual MSCVPR Conference

The annual MSCVPR conference was held April 16-17 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites in Kalamazoo.  The theme for this year's conference was "Bringing Science and Application Together."  It included a great list of speakers including Joe Piscatella and Barry Franklin, PhD.  It was well attended with 110 attendees.  Stay tuned for more information for the 2011 MSCVPR Conference.  

Reimbursement and Legislation

            The Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act (HR 552/S.329) Has Passed!!!.

Included in this bill is a provision which creates specific benefit categories for both Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. This was the direct result of efforts by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) and other cardiac and pulmonary professional and patient organizations over the past few years to gain support in Congress for The Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act (HR 552/S.329).

The significance of these new provisions is that Medicare beneficiaries who show clinical need for cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation services should have timely access to formal rehabilitation programs. Historically, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have had discretionary authority on many of the key decisions regarding coverage of these services. Consequently, there has been inconsistency in patient access and in the services covered by Medicare, particularly with the delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation, around the country.

While CMS has long recognized cardiac rehabilitation programs as a covered service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and researchers have repeatedly emphasized that the service is dramatically underutilized, resulting in suboptimal clinical care for patients with coronary artery disease. As a result, costly, life-threatening recurrent cardiovascular events that can be potentially reduced with the appropriate use of cardiac rehabilitation services. In the pulmonary arena, the new law will require CMS to provide national coverage of rehabilitation services when medically indicated by the patient’s physician.

The new law that addresses cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation takes effect on January 1, 2010.

For a more detailed information on the Legislative Update click here