Medicare post-acute care

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, August 5

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 5. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Final Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System Regulation for FY 2022 CMS has published its final Medicare inpatient prospective payment system regulation for FY 2022. Highlights include: An increase in hospital inpatient rates of 2.5 percent and an increase in long-term hospital rates averaging 0.9 percent. The Medicare disproportionate share (Medicare DSH) payments uncompensated care allocation has been cut $1.1 billion, to $7.2 billion, with distribution to be based [...]

iqtsupport2021-08-05T18:29:15-04:00August 5, 2021|Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for Friday, July 30

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Friday, July 30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Final Medicare Payment Regulations for FY 2022 CMS has published four final rules for Medicare payments in FY 2022: FY 2022 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, Hospice and Home Health Quality Reporting Program Requirements. (See also CMS’s fact sheet) FY 2022 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System and Quality Reporting Updates for Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2021 (FY 2022) (See [...]

iqtsupport2021-07-30T16:33:45-04:00July 30, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Coronavirus, COVID-19, hospitals, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, post-acute care|

Some Patients May Safely Leave Nursing Homes Faster, Study Finds

Some patients can be safely discharged from skilled nursing facilities faster than they currently are, a new study has found. And not just a day or two, either: as much as a week or more. The study focused on patients who had been in SNFs for about 20 days – the point at which Medicare beneficiaries begin shouldering a portion of the cost of their nursing care. Discharging some of these patients a week early, the study found, did not affect rehospitalization by day 28 for 98 percent of the patients discharged around day 20. The study, its authors assert, [...]

iqtsupport2021-05-05T06:00:18-04:00May 5, 2021|Medicare post-acute care|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, April 29

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 27 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Health Policy News Speaking before a joint session of Congress, President Biden on Wednesday night formally presented his proposed American Families Plan. In general, the plan defers action on most health care matters to other, separate legislation, but it does call for [...]

iqtsupport2021-04-29T17:06:18-04:00April 29, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Health Policy Update for Thursday, April 8

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 8. Provider Relief Fund The Provider Relief Fund web page has been updated to announce a webinar next Tuesday, April 13 about the HRSA COVID-19 uninsured program under which participating providers are reimbursed at Medicare rates for testing, treating, and administering COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals. Go here for further information (in the shaded box labeled “update”). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services COVID-19 CMS has added 24 new audiology and speech language pathology services to its list of telehealth services [...]

iqtsupport2021-04-08T17:26:05-04:00April 8, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

MedPAC Meets

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. recently to discuss various Medicare payment issues. Among the issues discussed at MedPAC’s January meeting were: hospital inpatient and outpatient payments physician and health professionals payments the possible expansion of the post-acute transfer policy to hospice ambulatory surgical center, outpatient dialysis, and hospice payments Medicare payments for skilled nursing facilities, long-term hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and home health services the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s development and implementation of alternative payment models the future of telehealth after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends a status report on the Medicare Part [...]

iqtsupport2021-01-25T06:00:58-05:00January 25, 2021|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

MedPAC Meets

Last week the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. to discuss a number of Medicare payment issues. MedPAC’s proposed Medicare 2021 payment recommendations dominated the December agenda, including: hospital inpatient and outpatient payments ambulatory surgical center payments physician and health professional payments hospice payments home health care payments inpatient rehabilitation facility payments long-term care hospital payments In addition, MedPAC discussed Medicare’s policy for transfers between post-acute-care facilities and hospice and received a staff update on the Medicare Advantage program. MedPAC is an independent congressional agency that advises Congress on issues involving Medicare. While its recommendations are not binding [...]

iqtsupport2020-12-10T06:00:36-05:00December 10, 2020|Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

OIG Cites Medicare, Medicaid Among Top Unimplemented Recommendations

CMS has failed to implement many of the policy changes recommended to it by HHS’s Office of the Inspector General, according to a new OIG report. Every year the Department of Health and Human Services’ OIG offers recommendations for policy changes designed to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs. This week, the OIG published “OIG’s Top Unimplemented Recommendations: Solutions to Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs.” Among the top 25 unimplemented recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are 14 involving Medicare and Medicaid. Its top 10 unimplemented Medicare recommendations are: CMS should take [...]

iqtsupport2020-08-11T10:33:28-04:00August 11, 2020|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare reimbursement policy|

MedPAC Meets

Last week the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. to discuss a number of Medicare payment issues. The issues on MedPAC’s January agenda were: The Medicare prescription drug program (Part D): status report and options for restructuring Redesigning the Medicare Advantage quality program: initial modeling of a value incentive program Hospital inpatient and outpatient payments Physician payments Outpatient dialysis payments Skilled nursing facility, home health, inpatient rehabilitation facility, and long-term-care hospital payments Hospice and ambulatory surgery center payments The 340B program ACO beneficiary assignment MedPAC is an independent congressional agency that advises Congress on issues involving the Medicare program. [...]

iqtsupport2020-01-22T06:00:06-05:00January 22, 2020|Accountable Care Organization, ACO, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

MedPAC Meeting Transcript Now Available

Last week the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. The Medicare payment issues on its agenda were: Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Physician and other health professional services Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Ambulatory surgical center services Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Hospital inpatient and outpatient services; Mandated report: Expanding the post-acute care transfer policy to hospice Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Skilled nursing facility services Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Home health care services Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Inpatient rehabilitation facility services Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Long-term care [...]

iqtsupport2019-12-13T06:00:56-05:00December 13, 2019|hospitals, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|