On July 27th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Hospice Wage Index, Payment Rate Update, and Quality Reporting Requirements final rule. See the fact sheet here. This final rule includes the annual payment and quality measure updates, and stakeholder feedback on health equity activities. Provisions of the [...] Read More
On July 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems rule, which proposes updates to the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for calendar year (CY) 2023. See the press release here. CMS [...] Read More
On July 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed calendar year (CY) 2023 Physician Fee Schedule, which proposes policies for physician payment and other outpatient services covered under Medicare Part B. See the press release here. CMS has provided a rule overview fact sheet and a Medicare Shared Savings Program [...] Read More
A cornerstone of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the accountable care organization (ACO) model was expected to flourish under its implementation. Through the ACA’s Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), ACOs were envisioned as vehicles for reducing the cost of care for Medicare, while improving the quality of care provided to Medicare patients. [...] Read More
On June 21, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2023 proposed End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System rule. See the fact sheet here. This rule proposes to: Increase ESRD payment rates by 3.1 percent; Considers three new applicants for transitional add-on payment for certain new and innovative [...] Read More
At Applied Policy, we assist many clients in understanding how Medicare reimburses for in vitro diagnostic (IVD) lab tests. Why do we focus on Medicare? Because Medicare payment policy decisions made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its contractors are publicly available, rigorous, and often serve as the basis for private [...] Read More
They are making headlines across the country and prompting more than a few people to reconsider career choices—the generous sign-on bonuses hospitals and healthcare systems are offering as they compete for a limited number of nurses. In El Paso, Texas, the Hospitals of Providence recently upped its $20,000 sign-on bonus for RNs to $30,000 as [...] Read More
A discussion of telehealth is important both in terms of telehealth’s potential to improve patient access to care and because of uncertainty over its future after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines telehealth as “the use [...] Read More
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has declared health equity the first pillar in its 2022 Strategic Plan and the commitment is being reflected across the agency’s actions and policies. For example, the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System rule released on April [...] Read More
The Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act)1 would strengthen the nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response systems. The bill builds on a discussion draft of the legislation and, among other issues, includes provisions that would: Establish a White House office to oversee pandemic [...] Read More