CMS’ Proposal to Update MS-DRGs Based on Market Prices
Valerie Rinkle | September 07, 2020 A key objective is to enable updates to the MS-DRG payment rates that are no longer dependent on gross charges billed by hospitals that are reduced to cost using hospitals’ cost report data. Included in the FY 2021 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule are proposals for hospitals…
CMS’ final inpatient payment rule for 2021: 7 things to know
Ayla Ellison | Sept 2, 2020 CMS released its annual Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule Sept. 2, which raises Medicare payment rates for acute care hospitals.The rule, which affects approximately 3,200 acute care hospitals, applies to discharges occurring on or after Oct. 1, 2020. Here are seven takeaways from the 2,160-page final rule: Payment…
AHA urges HHS to make telehealth rollbacks permanent
Hailey Mensik | Aug. 20, 2020 Dive Brief:• The American Hospital Association wants HHS to ensure the telehealth flexibilities it has allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue permanently, according to a Tuesday letter it sent to the agency. • Specifically, AHA wants hospitals to permanently be allowed to bill and get reimbursed for certain…
CMS outlines long-awaited changes to hospital star ratings
Robert King | Aug 5, 2020 The Trump administration released a long-awaited proposal to change how their star ratings posted on the Hospital Compare website are calculated, saying they aim to make the new methodology simpler and address concerns held by the industry about the scoring. The proposed change was tucked into a proposed payment…
CMS lets payers temporarily reduce 2020 premiums
Morgan Haefner| Aug 05, 2020 CMS said Aug. 4 that it will allow health insurers to temporarily lower premiums for members in the individual and small group markets to help Americans who are facing financial hardship amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Under current regulations, health insurers can’t change premiums for their plans after the start of…