title: Coverage policy for neurorehabilitation: an international perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coverage policy ultimately determines the delivery of services. This article summarizes the authors' effort to ascertain the extent of publically available information on coverage for neurorehabilitation services internationally.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Present available data on neurorehabilitation coverage and examine the needs for further research in this area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of published literature, review of government Web sites, survey of World Federation of NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR) program chairs, and attendees of the 2010 World Congress of NeuroRehabilitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A wide variation in coverage was found internationally. Data are not routinely accessible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Informed policy requires current data. There is an opportunity for the WFNR to provide leadership in policy for neurorehabilitation services by assembling and maintaining current data on coverage policy internationally.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA. weinricm@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinrich
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stuart
mesh_terms: D014943:Global Health / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000639:trends*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards