News Briefs: Final rule for Medicare inpatient payments brings large rate increase
As published in hfm magazine, a monthly roundup of top news for healthcare finance professionals.
Landmark law to curb drug prices in Medicare has potential, but implementation will be key
Newly signed legislation gives Medicare authority to negotiate the prices of certain high-cost drugs with manufacturers.
Final rule for Medicare inpatient payments brings a big rate increase but falls short of what hospitals sought
The final rule for Medicare inpatient payments to acute care hospitals calls for a 4.3% increase, up by more than a percentage point from the proposed rule.
Medicare payment updates in 3 final rules could foreshadow good news for hospitals
For hospices, inpatient psychiatric facilities and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, updated economic forecasting data resulted in payment increases of at least 1% relative to the proposed rules.
In an inflationary environment, pending Medicare payment updates don’t measure up
Consumer-focused inflation numbers aren’t as significant in healthcare as in other sectors, but prices are hampering hospitals and health systems.
New rule sets forth proposed Medicare payment policies for rural emergency hospitals
For hospitals that choose to begin operating under the new rural emergency hospital designation in 2023, Medicare will pay for any service that would be covered as a hospital outpatient department service.
Outpatient payment proposed rule: 340B drug payments to rise significantly in 2023 but will cut into the overall rate increase
Even before factoring in the impact of the 340B payment changes, hospital groups aren’t happy with the proposed payment update.
Healthcare News of Note: Newest nurses now fill the greatest number of 12-hour shifts
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: New nurses fill the largest number of shifts, some heart failure patients find the cost of medications unaffordable, and inaccuracies in CMS data make it difficult to address healthcare disparities.
CMS says EMTALA covers situations in which terminating a pregnancy is medically necessary
Even in situations that don’t qualify as life-threatening, the Biden administration says patients have the legal right to receive any type of stabilization measure at the discretion of their physician.
Even as costs surge, Medicare physician payments are scheduled to decrease in 2023
Medicare physician payments would decrease by more than 4% in 2023, according to a proposed rule.