On May 27, 2020, the Department of Health published a public notice in the New York State Register announcing proposed cuts in reimbursement for IRA and ICF residential programs by eliminating the occupancy adjustment resulting from vacancies and slashing reimbursement by 50% for retainer days when residents are in the hospital or are taking therapeutic leave days for family visits. Finally, after cutting reimbursement by 50% for leave days, the proposal also would impose an annual “cap” of 96 days of therapeutic leave days, after which reimbursement would be reduced to zero.

Ostensibly, this is being done to save taxpayers from paying for “empty beds,” which implies services aren’t delivered. But you know these are not empty beds, they are the homes that our loved ones return to, and you know that service doesn’t stop simply because they’re not in their bed.

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