The bill modifies Medicare payment rules for specialized long-term care hospitals that focus on treating patients with spinal cord injuries and acquired brain injuries. Under current law, these hospitals must follow standard Medicare payment formulas; this legislation exempts qualifying "catastrophic specialty hospitals" from those standard formulas and allows Medicare to pay them under different rules. To qualify, a hospital must demonstrate that at least 80 percent of its patients have spinal cord or brain injuries, maintain a comprehensive care program for these conditions, admit at least 175 patients annually with each type of injury, draw at least 30 percent of patients from outside their home state, and show commitment to neurorehabilitation research through staffing, publications, or training programs. Once designated, hospitals receive this special payment status for three-year periods, with the option for renewal if they continue meeting the criteria. The bill does not specify new funding amounts, but rather changes how Medicare reimburses these hospitals' care.
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