CMS and MedPAC Guidelines and Trends

In 2022 OPPS rule, CMS plans to reinstate policies pertaining to the inpatient-only and ASC covered-procedures lists

The 2022 proposed rule for the Outpatient Prospective Payment System would reverse 2021 policies that began to phase out the inpatient-only list of procedures and expand the covered-procedures list for ambulatory surgical centers.

Nick Hut July 21, 2021

Healthcare leaders offer direction on key CMS inpatient proposals for FY 2022

HFMA offers direction to CMS on several of its key inpatient proposals for 2021 as many healthcare leaders have expressed concern about these proposals.

Shawn Stack June 30, 2021

Medicare should update its policies for separately payable drugs in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System, MedPAC says

Worthwhile changes include requiring drugs to be proven clinically superior before granting them pass-through payment status, according to a new report.

Nick Hut June 27, 2021

Healthcare News of Note: Struggling rural hospitals have option to become stand-alone EDs to receive more funding

Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: An upcoming option for rural hospitals to receive more funding, a key factor in outcomes of Black patients who receive COVID-19 care, and predictions about the hospital room of the future.

Deborah Filipek June 25, 2021

Medicare indirect medical education payments to teaching hospitals should be overhauled, MedPAC says

Although the proposals represent a significant change, most hospitals wouldn’t be projected to experience a large impact on their payments.

Nick Hut June 21, 2021

MedPAC report: Cost-based reimbursement isn’t an ideal way to sustain rural hospitals

An extensive healthcare policy report by the Medicare Payment and Advisory Commission includes a discussion about the drawbacks of cost-based Medicare reimbursement for rural hospitals.

Nick Hut June 16, 2021

CMS proposes to pull support from organ acquisitions: A grave threat to the future of U.S. organ transplants and donor programs

Transplant patient lives at risk under CMS’s proposal to stop supporting donor community hospitals excising organs for non-Medicare patients on waiting lists.

Shawn Stack June 11, 2021

New CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure gets ready to tackle surprise billing, rural healthcare and much more

During her Senate confirmation hearing, Brooks-LaSure said strengthening Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to bolster quality and access while lowering costs will be paramount.

Nick Hut May 28, 2021

Healthcare News of Note: Hospitals ignoring federal price transparency rules get warning letters from CMS

Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: CMS letters warn hospitals to abide by price transparency rules, fewer mental health services are available during the pandemic and the number of private-practice physicians undergoes a historic shift.

HFMA May 14, 2021

For rural hospitals, affiliations with large health systems can be a mixed bag

Significant declines in inpatient admissions among rural hospitals that eventually close may be a consequence of affiliations with health systems.

Nick Hut March 12, 2021
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