Medicare program; inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system for federal fiscal year 2009. Final rule.

This final rule updates the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 (for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2008 and on or before September 30, 2009) as required under section 1886(j)(3)(C) of the Social Security Act (the Act). Section 1886(j)(5) of the Act requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register on or before the August 1 that precedes the start of each fiscal year, the classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's (PPS) case-mix groups and a description of the methodology and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for that fiscal year. We are revising existing policies regarding the PPS within the authority granted under section 1886(j) of the Act.