Proposed Rule to Boost Medicare Inpatient Rehab Payments by 3%
A new proposed rule from CMS would increase payments to inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) by $335 million next fiscal year. The draft regulation would also update quality reporting and new...AHA, AHIP Urge Supreme Court to Uphold False Claims Act Ruling
The American Hospital Association (AHA) and AHIP have filed an amicus brief challenging the federal government’s interpretation of the False Claims Act, stating that it would adversely impact...CMS Proposes 2.8% Medicare Hospice Payment Bump
Medicare hospice payments could grow by as much as 2.8 percent, or $720 million, next year under a rule recently proposed by CMS. The federal agency released the proposed rule on Friday. It seeks to...Sponsored by Brault Practice Solutions
The Battle For Fair Reimbursement Under The No Surprises Act
The federal ban on surprise medical billing took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, following the passage of the No Surprises Act (NSA) in December 2020. The NSA resulted from years of negotiations and...Provider Org Recommends Changes to MA Prior Authorization Rule
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (the Academy) has offered recommendations to CMS on the Medicare Advantage prior authorization proposed rule that may help reduce provider burden and improve...Hospitals Ask Lawmakers for Well-Being, Workplace Safety Support
Hospitals and health systems are facing a staffing emergency, the American Hospital Association (AHA) said in response to a Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee Request for...CMS Resumes IDR Payment Determinations Under No Surprises Act
CMS has instructed certified independent dispute resolution (IDR) entities to resume payment determinations for disputes involving items or services furnished on or after Oct. 25, 2022, according to...COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements Boosted Uptake Among NYC Municipal Workers
After the testing option was eliminated, COVID-19 vaccination requirements were linked to an increase in the vaccination rate among New York City municipal workers in 2021, according to a study...Court Rejects Property Tax Exemptions for 4 PA Non-Profit Hospitals
Several non-profit hospitals in Pennsylvania have failed to convince a court that they are purely public charities and, therefore, should qualify for property tax exemptions. The Pennsylvania...CMS Proposes to Implement Changes to Medicaid DSH Calculations
CMS has proposed a rule to update the regulatory requirements of the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program in response to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, including implementing...KFF Study: Hospital Price Transparency Data Messy, Inconsistent
Hospital price transparency data shared with the public is lacking in quality, challenging the usefulness of the information, according to Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). KFF analyzed hospital price...TX Physicians Win No Surprises Act Rule Court Case
A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) challenge of a No Surprises Act rule released by HHS to flesh out the independent dispute resolution (IDR)...From AI to Regulation, Making Progress with the Prior Authorization Process
Prior authorizations are one of the biggest impediments to treating patients, according to Claire Ernst, JD, director of government affairs at MGMA. The Medical Group Management Association, or MGMA, is a trade group representing...Two-Thirds of People Evade Coverage After Medicaid Disenrollment
In a year after Medicaid disenrollment, about two-thirds of people had a period of uninsurance, according to a recent analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The Families First Coronavirus...Judge Wants HHS to Remedy 340B Underpayments to Hospitals
A federal court has decided to let HHS determine how to repay hospitals for years of 340B underpayments. The decision issued Tuesday by the US District Court for the District of Columbia comes as a...CMS Awards 200 Residency Slots to Bolster Healthcare Workforce
CMS has awarded 200 Medicare-funded residency slots to support hospitals in underserved communities, according to a recent announcement. The awards are part of a larger push to provide 1,000 physician...Federal IDR Process Faces More Disputes Than Expected, Backlog Growing
Payers and providers are utilizing the independent dispute resolution (IDR) process far more than the government expected to resolve disagreements about payment for items and services covered by the...HHS Releases Ownership Data on All Medicare-Certified Hospitals
HHS is releasing ownership data on all Medicare-certified hospitals in a bid to promote competition in a highly consolidated industry. “At President Biden’s direction, this Administration...Sponsored by Brault Practice Solutions
