AHA Statement on Proposed FY 2019 IPPS Rule

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
American Hospital Association 

April 24, 2018

CMS today took several steps that would help deliver on its promise to ease regulatory barriers and allow America’s hospitals and health systems to better provide high-quality, efficient patient care. Last year, the AHA released a new analysis showing that providers spend nearly $39 billion a year solely on administrative activities related to regulatory compliance. The AHA appreciates the Administration working with the hospital field to reduce the administrative complexity of health care and allow providers to spend more time on patients, not paperwork.

Specifically, we are pleased that in today’s proposed rule, the agency would permanently revoke the 25% Rule for long-term care hospitals. This will help ensure that patients get the care they need when they need it without facing arbitrary restrictions by non-patient-centered regulations. We are also encouraged that this year’s rule begins to implement the Administration’s “meaningful measures” initiative, a streamlined approach to quality measurement that can help ensure programs are focused on those core issues that are most critical to providing high-quality care and improving patient outcomes.  

Additionally, the AHA is pleased that CMS has proposed a more flexible, performance-based approach to determine whether a hospital has met meaningful use requirements.  CMS has also reduced burden by limiting the reporting periods to 90-days in 2019 and 2020. We are disappointed, however, that the agency will require use of 2015 Edition Certified EHR Technology beginning in 2019.

Contact:    Marie Johnson, (202) 626-2351 mjohnson@aha.org
                   Colin Milligan (202) 638-5491 cmilligan@aha.org