MedPAC releases March report to Congress

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission March 15 released its March report to Congress, which includes its recent recommendations for hospital and other Medicare payment systems for fiscal year 2025. Specifically, MedPAC recommended that Congress update the Medicare base payment rate for hospitals by current law plus 1.5%.  

“The AHA appreciates MedPAC’s recommendation to attempt to improve — in small part — Medicare’s chronic underpayments to hospitals and health systems,” writes Shannon Wu, AHA senior associate director of inpatient payment policy, in a blog post on the report. “Indeed, the hospital field has faced substantially negative Medicare margins for well over a decade. … In light of all the challenges hospitals face, the AHA continues to urge MedPAC, Congress, and the Administration to support the hospital and health system field so they can continue providing 24/7 essential care to their patients and communities.”