Legislative issues. The federal financing and regulation of physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

This article describes major elements in the federal legislative system of the United States affecting the financing and delivery of rehabilitation and related services to persons with disabilities. It deals with existing federal statutory law and regulations, as well as pending legislation dealing with patients rights in health care that has been passed by both bodies in Congress but is not law as of late 2001. The recently revised federal Medicare law financing much of the inpatient hospital rehabilitation and outpatient rehabilitation services is described in detail, as is the Medicare law financing graduate medical education.