AHA comments on OPPS/ASC proposed rule for CY 2019

The AHA strongly opposes site-neutral proposals to reduce payment for certain hospital outpatient services furnished in excepted off-campus provider-based departments to 40 percent of the outpatient prospective payment system rate in calendar year 2019, the association told the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today, commenting on the agency’s proposed rule for the OPPS and ambulatory surgical center payment system. The payment cut would apply to hospital outpatient clinic visits and services from expanded clinical families furnished in excepted off-campus PBDs. AHA also opposes the agency’s proposal to continue paying the average sales price minus 22.5 percent for separately payable drugs acquired through the 340B drug savings program, and to expand the policy to non-excepted off-campus PBDs. AHA said the proposals “run afoul of the law and rely on the most cursory of analyses and policy rationales. Taken together, they would have a chilling effect on beneficiary access to care and new technologies, while also dramatically increasing regulatory burden.”