Description
The process of admission to inpatient rehabilitation has been significantly impacted by changes dictated by the financial payors. The approval process is changing for both Medicare and private insurance companies. Medicare has recently implemented a program known as the "Medicare Rehab Choice Program," also sometimes referred to as the "Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Review Choice Demonstration (IRF RCD). This has created some opportunities but also challenges to admission for these patients. In addition, as more patients transition to managed medicare replacement plans, delays in admission to inpatient rehabilitation are common. With increasing pressure on physicians and hospital teams to decrease the acute care length of stay and increase inpatient rehabilitation admission, new and innovative ways of addressing the inpatient rehab needs of patients is needed. This presentation will review the current state of affairs, present the Medicare Rehab Choice Program, and finally highlight the innovative work of the Carolinas Rehabilitation team within the Atrium Hospital system.

Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Describe the typical insurance requirements for inpatient rehabilitation
Learning Objective 2: Identify potential roadblocks to admission
Learning Objective 3: Explore opportunities and threats present with the new IRF RCD program
Learning Objective 4: Understand techniques and methods used by the Carolinas Rehab team to improve inpatient rehab throughput

Member Community
Inpatient Rehabilitation

Faculty
Session Directore: Craig DiTommaso, MD, FAAPMR: Medical Director at PAM Health, Consultant for LifeWard/ReWalk.
Shannon D. Smith, MD, FAAPMR: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.        
Keith Foster, MD,MBA,CPE,FAAPMR,FACHE: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.        
Vishwa Raj, MD, FAAPMR: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.    

AAPM&R Medical Education Committee
John C. Cianca, MD: Ownership or partnership with Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Consultants, LLC.
Karen P. Barr, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Rachel A. Brakke Holman, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Joseph E. Burris, MD: Serves on the Speakers Bureau for, and received clinical research grants from Allergan.
David S. Cheng, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Theresa A. Gillis, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kevin N. Hakimi, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Matthew T. Haas, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
R.Samuel Mayer, MD: Royalties from Demos Medical Publishing.
Ameet S. Nagpal, MD MS MEd: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sunil Sabharwal, MD: Royalities from Demos Publishing; board member, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Sarah M. Smith, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Stephanie Tow, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kevin R. VIncent, MD, PhD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

AAPM&R CME Committee
Karen P. Barr, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Cherry C. Junn, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sheryl R. Levin, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kentaro Onishi, DO: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Evan R. Peck, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Cynthia G. Pineda, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Patricia T. Tan, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Brionn K. Tonkin, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kristin A. Wong, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

No other planners, faculty or other individuals in control of content disclosed any relevant financial relationships.

FDA Disclosures
All faculty members for this activity have disclosed they do not intend to discuss or demonstrate any pharmaceutical or medical device for which FDA clearance has not been approved.