The Medicare area wage index likely needs a revamp, MedPAC members say
Wage index adjustments leave some hospitals at a disadvantage and are costly for the Medicare program, according to policy advisers.
In 2022 OPPS rule, CMS plans to reinstate policies pertaining to the inpatient-only and ASC covered-procedures lists
The 2022 proposed rule for the Outpatient Prospective Payment System would reverse 2021 policies that began to phase out the inpatient-only list of procedures and expand the covered-procedures list for ambulatory surgical centers.
Healthcare leaders offer direction on key CMS inpatient proposals for FY 2022
HFMA offers direction to CMS on several of its key inpatient proposals for 2021 as many healthcare leaders have expressed concern about these proposals.
Medicare should update its policies for separately payable drugs in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System, MedPAC says
Worthwhile changes include requiring drugs to be proven clinically superior before granting them pass-through payment status, according to a new report.
Healthcare News of Note: Struggling rural hospitals have option to become stand-alone EDs to receive more funding
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: An upcoming option for rural hospitals to receive more funding, a key factor in outcomes of Black patients who receive COVID-19 care, and predictions about the hospital room of the future.
Medicare indirect medical education payments to teaching hospitals should be overhauled, MedPAC says
Although the proposals represent a significant change, most hospitals wouldn’t be projected to experience a large impact on their payments.
MedPAC report: Cost-based reimbursement isn’t an ideal way to sustain rural hospitals
An extensive healthcare policy report by the Medicare Payment and Advisory Commission includes a discussion about the drawbacks of cost-based Medicare reimbursement for rural hospitals.
CMS proposes to pull support from organ acquisitions: A grave threat to the future of U.S. organ transplants and donor programs
Transplant patient lives at risk under CMS’s proposal to stop supporting donor community hospitals excising organs for non-Medicare patients on waiting lists.
New CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure gets ready to tackle surprise billing, rural healthcare and much more
During her Senate confirmation hearing, Brooks-LaSure said strengthening Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to bolster quality and access while lowering costs will be paramount.
Healthcare News of Note: Hospitals ignoring federal price transparency rules get warning letters from CMS
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: CMS letters warn hospitals to abide by price transparency rules, fewer mental health services are available during the pandemic and the number of private-practice physicians undergoes a historic shift.