Commenting today on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule for the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system for fiscal year 2020, AHA said it generally supports the reforms to update the payment system, but expressed concern with the substantial redistribution of cases under the payment model proposed for FY 2020. The comment letter raises concerns regarding the FY 2020 case-mix system reforms finalized in last year’s rulemaking, as well as proposed changes to quality outcomes reporting and patient assessments. “[W]e remain concerned that these new policies are, in part, based on unreliable data and that the proposed rule lacks adequate detail and transparency,” AHA wrote. “We also are concerned that the proposed rule lacks the patient-level and cost data needed to replicate the model for the purpose of evaluating its impact to consider whether alternatives would be warranted. These issues deserve further discussion and transparency in the final rule to allow the field to best prepare for the changes and serve their patients.”

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA Sept. 4 expressed support for the Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites Act (H.R. 5120), legislation that would require Medicare and Medicaid to…
Blog
Every pregnant woman deserves access to high-quality maternal care — from conception through postpartum. Yet in parts of the country, some of that care is…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released additional details on the application process for the Rural Health Transformation Program. CMS…
Headline
The AHA Aug. 26 responded to a request for information as part of the introduction of the Healthy Moms and Babies Act, bipartisan legislation that seeks to…
Headline
The AHA Aug. 27 said the Health Resources and Services Administration should abandon its 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program.“It is a ‘solution’ in search of a…
Headline
Applications for the 2026 AHA Rural Hospital Excellence in Innovation Award close Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. ET. The award honors rural hospitals leading the way in…