Separate benefit for complex rehab: Stakeholders set stage for legislation

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The steering committee working to create a separate benefit for complex rehab had a draft report outlining a legislative and regulatory roadmap in its hands last week.

Avalere Health Group generated the report and presented it to the committee for review and revisions.

"We're in the process of analyzing it," said Don Clayback, executive director of NCART, on May 27. "Avalere's engagement is two steps: One is to present the legislative and regulatory roadmap and, once we review that and either endorse it or modify it, two, is to turn around and create the legislative specs that are required by Congress."

In late April, as part of the Continuing Education and Legislative Advocacy Conference (CELA), rehab providers hit Capitol Hill to begin educating lawmakers on their efforts to create a separate benefit and to feel them out on whether they would support eventual legislation.

The response from those meetings was promising, Clayback said.

"We probably have 40 offices that indicated a yes vs. a maybe, in terms of wanting to get involved," he said.

Once the steering committee has legislative specs, probably by the end of June, it will begin the process of finding a sponsor to introduce the legislation, Clayback said.

"At that point, we'll circle back to a couple of key people in Congress that have said, based on what we've told them, that they would be willing to take the lead on this," he said. "But they need to see more specifics."

Also in June, the steering committee expects several consumer groups to formally announce their support for its efforts, Clayback said.