CMS

CMS Proposes $1.6B Increase in IPPS Payment Rates for FY23

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has released its Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule for fiscal year 2023, which includes a payment rate boost for general acute care hospitals and new measures...

CMS Updates Guidance for Independent Dispute Resolution Entities

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has updated its surprise billing guidance to require independent dispute resolution (IDR) entities to consider more than just the qualifying payment amount (QPA) when determining reimbursement...

CMS Releases Skilled Nursing Facility PPS Proposed Rule for FY23

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has released its proposed Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) rule for fiscal year 2023, which includes a reduction in Medicare payments for SNFs. The proposed payment...

CMS Proposes 2.7% Payment Boost for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has issued a proposed Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (IPF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) rule for FY 2023, which introduced an update to IPF Medicare payments and included comment requests on...

CMS Releases FY23 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS Proposed Rule

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has released its proposed Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) rule for FY 2023, which included an increase in IRF payment rates and updates on the IRF Quality...

CMS Increases Hospice Payment Rate in Proposed Rule for FY 2023

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has introduced a proposed rule for fiscal year 2023 that includes an increase in hospice payments and an aggregate cap on negative wage index changes. Under the rule, hospices would see a 2.7...

WEDI Voices Concerns About Good Faith Estimates Implementation

by Victoria Bailey

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) expressed concerns to CMS regarding the good faith estimates policy under the No surprises Act and the problems it causes for providers and patients...

AHA Asks CMS to Waive Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization During PHE

by Victoria Bailey

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked CMS to work with Congress and require Medicare Advantage plans to waive prior authorization processes during the current and future public health...

Organizations Urge CMS, HHS to Terminate New ACO REACH Model

by Victoria Bailey

More than 200 healthcare organizations, including Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and the American Medical Student Association, have urged CMS and HHS to terminate the ACO REACH model,...

AHA: Good Faith Estimates Create Administrative Burden for Hospitals

by Victoria Bailey

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked CMS to adjust the good faith estimates policy under the No Surprises Act, citing the accompanying administrative burden and operational inefficiencies...

Senate Voted to Repeal COVID-19 Healthcare Worker Vaccine Mandate

by Victoria Bailey

The Senate has approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the COVID-19 healthcare worker vaccine mandate. The House of Representatives has not made such a vote, meaning as of now the vaccine mandate...

NAACOS Launches Coalition for ACO REACH Model Participants

by Victoria Bailey

The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) has launched a coalition to help providers learn about and prepare for the new ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) model. The coalition...

AHA Asks CMS to Amend Residency Slot Distribution in IPPS Final Rule

by Victoria Bailey

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked CMS to reconsider its methodology for distributing residency slots to teaching hospitals, which the agency finalized in the hospital inpatient...

CMS Replaces Direct Contracting Model with New ACO REACH Model

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has overhauled the Global and Professional Direct Contracting model and announced the ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) model. The redesigned accountable care organization...

Former Obama Appointees Urge HHS, CMS to Continue Direct Contracting

by Victoria Bailey

A group of former appointees under the Obama administration are urging federal officials to preserve the Global and Professional Direct Contracting model, stating that the model helps accountable care...

More Beneficiaries, But Fewer ACOs for Medicare Shared Savings Program

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Medicare Shared Savings Program will care for more beneficiaries in 2022, making it the largest alternative payment model in Medicare despite lackluster ACO...

Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers Enforceable in All States

by Jacqueline LaPointe

A federal judge in Texas has dismissed the state’s challenge of CMS’ vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, paving the way for the federal agency to enforce the mandate across the...

AHA Shares New Concerns with Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

by Sarai Rodriguez

A comment letter from the American Hospital Association (AHA) to CMS requested changes and increased clarity concerning the agency’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare...

CMS Reinstates COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate in 25 States

by Sarai Rodriguez

CMS announced it would be reinstating the COVID-19 healthcare worker vaccine mandate to facilities in 25 states and the District of Columbia that are not affected by the preliminary...

CMS Funds 1,000 New Medicare Residency Slots to Address Labor Shortage

by Sarai Rodriguez

CMS announced they would be funding 1,000 new Medicare residency slots to address labor shortages in rural and underserved communities as part of the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final...