CMS urged to quickly notify hospitals of their BiBA exception status

The AHA today urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to direct Medicare Administrative Contractors to quickly review hospital applications for the mid-build exception to Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and notify hospitals whether they have been granted the exception. “Since reimbursement under Section 603 results in payment at 40% of the [hospital outpatient prospective payment system], hospitals are anxious to know whether they meet the requirements for being excepted from Section 603 beginning Jan. 1, 2018,” wrote AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels. “This decision is essential for accurate and sound financial forecasting.”