CMS issues additional FAQ on inpatient price transparency requirement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released answers to additional frequently asked questions on a fiscal year 2019 inpatient prospective payment system final rule provision requiring hospitals to publicly post their charges in a machine-readable format at least annually. Among other topics, the new FAQ clarifies that the requirement applies to all hospitals, including inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities and critical access hospitals; to drugs, biologicals and other items and services that are not reflected in the hospital’s chargemaster; and to charges for each diagnosis-related group. CMS also issued a FAQ on the requirement in September.