Article: Diane - A Real Shock at Rehab

Diane - The Pink House OTC

On Wednesday afternoon, at about 2:00 p.m., if you heard a loud crash -- well, maybe not so much of a crash as a rather loud THUD! --  that was the sound of my heart dropping to the floor. Because that was the moment that Bob and I were at Rehab, finishing up with the occupational therapist when the physical therapist came up to us carrying Bob's file.

That was when the PT said, "I was going to do Bob's re-evaluation today, and to tell you the truth, I was prepared to discharge him. But I see he has one more appointment scheduled on Friday, and if I discharge him today, the insurance wont pay for Friday, so let's just do the paperwork on Friday."

Discharge him?

And that was when my heart hit the floor. And the PT keeps talking, but I really can't even hear the rest of the stuff he's saying, because truthfully, I can't believe it. I mean, Bob is progressing, every time he comes to Rehab the therapists tell him how great he's doing, how much better and improved he is, and how he even looks better, able to hold his head up a bit more...

I am just numb sitting there. But I do hear the PT say this all too familiar phrase: "No Functional Improvement."

And then I hear something about Medicare capping off the amount of sessions they will pay for at Outpatient Rehab beginning Oct. 1, and Bob being close to being cut-off anyway, which is news to me, so I find my voice and tell him that Bob has a Medicare Advantage Plan and those plans don't follow strict Medicare guidelines.

But he says, "Well, even if the insurance covered it, it really comes down to no functional improvement. An Outpatient Rehab Center is just not equipped for this kind of long-term maintenance that Bob needs."

I am still numb, and the PT keeps talking, as if he is strangely arguing with me, even though ...

See the full article  A Real Shock at Rehab at The Pink House on The Corner.