FY 2021 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS Final Rule Summary

On August 10, 2020, CMS published a final rule on the Medicare inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (IRF PPS) for federal fiscal year (FY) 2021. In addition to provisions that update the IRF PPS payment rates and outlier threshold for FY 2021, the final rule adopts revised wage index areas with a transition year for IRFs that would experience a lower wage index; permanently removes the post-admission evaluation requirement; makes revisions to certain IRF coverage requirements; and allows non-physician practitioners to perform some of the required weekly visits in place of a rehabilitation physician. No changes are made to the IRF Quality Reporting Program (IRF QRP) or to the IRF PPS facility-level adjustment factors (i.e., for rural, low income percentage and teaching status).