Joseph Rugg's Health Law Blog

As one of the plaintiffs in the federal class action lawsuit Jimmo v. Sebelius, which challenged the Medicare Improvement Standard, the Alzheimer’s Association applauds the recently announced proposed settlement.

The long-practiced Medicare Improvement Standard provided that Medicare beneficiaries must achieve demonstrable improvements in order to receive rehabilitative services, such as physical, speech and occupational therapy. Without these demonstrable improvements, Medicare would not pay for these services. Now, under the settlement agreement, Medicare will pay for these services if they maintain the patient’s current condition or prevent or slow further deterioration.

The Association believes that eliminating the Improvement Standard is very important for the health and well-being of the growing number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease. As an organization that has advocated for these changes on behalf of the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s and the millions more who will face the disease in the future, the Association determined it was important to join this lawsuit to secure these changes.

See on www.alz.org

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