NEWS: Next Medical Fee Revision to Evaluate Enhanced Chronic Care Rehabilitation for “Zero Bedridden & Zero Return Home” – Japan Association of Chronic Care Medicine Chairman Hashimoto

News Highlights

The Chairman of the Japan Association of Chronic Care Medicine (JACM), Mr. Hashimoto, indicated a policy to evaluate the enhancement of chronic care rehabilitation for the realization of “zero bedridden & zero return home” in the next medical fee revision. This suggests an increasing importance of rehabilitation functions in chronic care hospitals to enable patients to return home as early as possible after acute care. Healthcare institutions will be required to strengthen their rehabilitation systems and enhance their support functions for returning home, in line with this direction of the medical fee revision.

M&A Medical Editorial Department’s Perspective

Chairman Hashimoto’s remarks suggest a clear goal setting of “zero bedridden & zero return home” for chronic care hospitals and an evaluation in medical fees to promote it, compelling a restructuring of business strategies. In particular, in addition to strengthening the function as a receiving facility from acute care hospitals, establishing a follow-up system after returning home may become key to earning medical fees. This signifies a redefinition of the role of chronic care hospitals within the community-based integrated care system, not just maintaining their current functions. From an M&A perspective, the value of healthcare institutions with strengths in rehabilitation functions may increase, or the trend of healthcare institutions seeking to acquire those with specialized functions into their groups may accelerate, especially for those rushing to build support systems for returning home. Strategies to distribute the burden of facility investment through economies of scale and improve the quality of support for returning home across the entire group may also be effective.

Key Discussion Points from This News

• The enhancement of chronic care rehabilitation is highly likely to be evaluated in the medical fee revision.
• “Zero bedridden & zero return home” will become a new goal setting for chronic care hospitals.
• In addition to the function of receiving patients from acute care hospitals, establishing a follow-up system after returning home will become important.
• The M&A value of healthcare institutions with strengths in rehabilitation functions may increase.

Practical Questions Arising from This News

• What specific rehabilitation items will be evaluated in this revision?
• What criteria will be established for building a support system for returning home?
• What specific actions should chronic care hospitals take to strengthen collaboration with acute care hospitals?

If You Feel “Should I Consult Too?”

Are you considering strengthening your institution’s capacity to accept patients from acute care hospitals and its support system for returning home, in light of the direction of the medical fee revision? Enhancing rehabilitation functions and promoting regional collaboration may directly impact future profitability and business continuity. Especially, it might be a good opportunity to start exchanging information with experts on how to incorporate the trends of this medical fee revision into your M&A strategy, in conjunction with building a highly specialized rehabilitation system and considering business succession due to a lack of successors.

M&A Medical (CentralMedience Inc.) supports the business succession of medical corporations, hospitals, and clinics with a complete success-fee basis as an M&A support institution certified by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. Consultations are accepted with strict confidentiality. Free consultations are available here.