Ways and Means chairmen urge CMS to further reduce Medicare burdens

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Subcommittee on Health Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) yesterday sent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma recommendations to further alleviate Medicare administrative and regulatory burdens for hospitals, post-acute care providers and physicians. Among other actions, the committee leaders urge CMS to establish principles for streamlining hospital conditions of participation; release flexible guidelines for co-location arrangements; overhaul hospital quality star ratings; and conduct a more comprehensive quality measure review project. They also provide feedback on recent CMS proposals to reduce burdens under Medicare’s physician fee schedule, outpatient prospective payment system and program for accountable care organizations; and encourage the agency to streamline consolidated billing for skilled nursing facilities and reduce burdens associated with documenting home health eligibility. The chairmen last month released a report reviewing the committee’s year-long initiative to reduce legislative and regulatory burdens on Medicare providers, which indicated they would be asking the agency to take additional actions in these areas.