Press Releases

Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation Program Works To
Save Medicare Nursing Home Days

Port Huron, MI…To heighten awareness of availability and decrease the possible financial burden to area seniors in need of dedicated inpatient rehabilitation after a stroke, illness or injury, officials in the Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation program would like to remind area seniors who receive Medicare benefits that rehabilitative treatment is available that will not require the use of valuable Nursing Home days as defined by Medicare.

“We have noticed a trend in the care of inpatient rehabilitation patients to use skilled nursing homes/facilities that are not defined by Medicare as clinically accepted inpatient hospital programs for their care and treatment,” explains Peter Dimmer, Director of the Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation program. “This concerns us greatly because there is an important distinction between “Hospital Days” and “Nursing Home Days” as provided by Medicare.

“Nursing Home days are valuable in that they are reimbursed on a limited basis by Medicare, leaving the patient to pay out-of-pocket costs for continued care,” continues Dimmer. “At Mercy, we want area seniors to understand that an inpatient stay at Mercy Hospital – after a stroke event or injury – is defined differently through Medicare and is reimbursed as Hospital Days. This allows seniors the opportunity to save valuable Nursing Home Days for the less intensive care they might need to continue rehabilitation after reaching a certain level of activity.”

Care for patients within the Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation program is provided by Board Certified Physiatrists, physicians specially trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Mercy’s program, including Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and/or Speech Therapy, is geared to be intensive, providing three hours of therapy, five out of seven days per week.

“Although our program is designed to put patients on the road to successful recovery, often patients and their care providers are concerned that it is too intense,” continued Dimmer. “However, our program offers a dedicated track record of success for patients who truly want to return to their pre-event levels of activity. Patients are screened for admission and must qualify for this type of medical program. As a matter of fact, our program is so successful, 85 percent of our patients return back home to the community upon discharge.”

Mercy Hospital is committed to the health and well-being of community residents and is dedicated to providing information to the community to ensure access and financial stability for patients.

For more information on the Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation program or to see if the program is right for you, please have your healthcare provider call (810) 966-3160 for admission screening. To find out more, visit Mercy Hospital online at www.mercyporthuron.com.