Medicare
On July 13, the CMS released two calendar year 2018 proposed rules: the outpatient prospective payment system/ambulatory surgical center proposed rule and the Medicare physician fee schedule proposed rule.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued its proposed rule for the physician fee schedule for calendar year 2018. CMS estimates a 0.31% increase in physician payment rates for 2018 compared to 2017, after applying a 0.5% payment increase required by the Medicare Access and…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is moving forward with an initiative to remove Social Security numbers (SSN) from Medicare beneficiary enrollment cards. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 requires removal of SSNs from all Medicare cards by April…
Issue Brief: Physician Quality Payment Program
The AHA yesterday said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule for the 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act – or MACRA – continues the “incremental, flexible implementation approach called for by hospitals, health systems and the more than 500,000 employed…
The CMS late yesterday issued a proposed rule updating the requirements of the quality payment program for physicians and other eligible clinicians mandated by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.
The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program did not result in meaningful improvements in clinical process or patient experience measures during its first four years, because performance improved similarly for hospitals not exposed to the program, according to a study reported last week in the New…
Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Gregg Harper (R-MS) yesterday introduced the Closing Loopholes for Orphan Drugs Act (H.R. 2889, legislation that would limit the “orphan drug” exclusion for 340B Drug Pricing Program rural and cancer hospitals.
The AHA supports a number of provisions in the inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2018, but has concerns about certain proposed changes related to disproportionate share hospital payments, the documentation and coding reduction, and quality programs, AHA…