Advocate for Medicare therapy services

Today my mother's physical therapist informed me that my mother will be discharged from PT this Friday. This was frustrating to hear, since this is the first week my mother has really felt well enough to benefit from therapy, and after 6 weeks basically spent in bed, she definitely needs therapy to increase her strength and endurance for walking and independence. So why is she being discharged? Because of the Medicare Therapy Cap:

Medicare Therapy Caps to Return in 2010 Without Exceptions (At Least Temporarily)
The Medicare therapy caps will return on January 1, 2010, although the policy will likely be in place for only one month as both health care reform bills that were passed by the House and Senate contain provisions to extend the exceptions process. These bills are being merged together for a final vote which congressional leaders have said they would like to have completed prior to President Obama's State of the Union address in late January.

Until that time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have reported that speech-language pathology and physical therapy will continue to share a combined cap of $1,860, with a separate cap of $1,860 for occupational therapy. As before, the cap does not extend to services provided in hospitals. Settings impacted by the therapy caps include private practice, rehabilitation agencies, skilled nursing facilities, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities, physician offices, and Part B home health agency services

Please, friends, contact your representatives and Senators to encourage them to pass the "extension to the exceptions process for Medicare therapy caps."