The Future of Therapy Services in Nursing Homes is Dictated By ‘Who is Paying the Bill’
Therapy in nursing homes has been shaped in recent years by the shift to a patient-centered model, with providers pointing to staff shortages, reimbursement changes, and the influence of Medicare Advantage plans as factors making it harder to tailor programs.
Certainly, higher expectations from therapy-based clinical outcomes is changing the therapy market landscape, said Brian Plasky, chief clinical integration and reimbursement officer for Genesis Healthcare. And, the change is in part being driven by referral sources and payer plans like Medicare Advantage (MA). Instead of a therapist with a clinical background determining what a patient needs, care is being “dictated” by MA plans in particular, he said.