The LTAC Difference: Why LTAC?

Overview

• • LTACs provide high quality care to chronically critically ill patients who are the most difficult and highest cost consumers of healthcare. LTAC facilities provide the same level of medical care as any hospital, without the staggering costs of the ICU or other treatment units at a hospital.
  • Medicare LTAC criteria relaxed the 25-day LOS requirement, which provides significant flexibility in how LTACs can now be used.  In terms of reasonable transitional care management, to handle expensive care for a chronically ill population, this is a huge boon. Medicare’s relaxation of these regulations allows for more patients to get the level of care they need when they need it.
  • LTACs provide aggressive interdisciplinary care to medically complex patients who require an extended recovery time in an acute care setting

LTAC Capabilities

• • Licensed as acute care hospitals
  • The Joint Commissions Accredited
  • 24-hour physician coverage, Physician directed care
  • ICU and targeted ER Coverage
  • Key capabilities to manage complex and expensive respiratory, wound, transplant and other cases
  • Full Lab, Radiology, Pharmacy, Ancillary, OR

LTAC Value Outcomes

• • Lower Readmissions: 44% lower odds of readmission as compared with IRFs, SNFs and home health for similar patients (RTI 2012)
  • Lower Cost per Day: Per day, LTAC costs are ˜20–35% less than acute are hospitals (MedPAR)
  • Episodic Cost Savings and Quality Gains: Use of LTACs associated with lower 90-day episodic costs, lower mortality and higher quality for sickest patients (MedPAC 2013, RTI 2007)
  • Value in Partnering with LTAC’s to Manage Chronic Critically Ill Patients

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