Therapy cap extension impacts Southeast patients

wrangell — Patients in local hospitals could face new limitations on how physical therapy can be paid for in Southeast Alaska hospitals.

Annual caps for the amount of physical therapy have, in past years, been restricted only to hospitals that did not receive the critical care designation from the federal government. However, for the first time this year, Medicare will apply reimbursement caps – the limit is $1,920 – to physical therapy patients receiving physical therapy even at critical access facilities, like the Petersburg and Wrangell medical centers.

The caps are expended and renewed on...