Senate extends direct supervision enforcement moratorium through 2015

The Senate last night passed by unanimous consent AHA-supported legislation (S. 1461) that would delay through December 2015 enforcement of direct supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services provided in critical access hospitals and certain small, rural hospitals. “This extension will provide us time to advance legislation eliminating this unnecessary burden on rural hospitals and will ensure seniors have access to therapy services in their communities,” said Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who sponsored the bill with Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT). The AHA-supported Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services Act (S. 257/H.R. 1611) would adopt a default standard of “general supervision” for outpatient therapeutic services, among other provisions. S. 1461 now goes to the House of Representatives, where a similar measure (H.R. 2878) was introduced in June by Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA).