May 10, 2018 | Medicare Advantage, MedPAC
At MedPAC’s April Public Meeting, the Commission discussed opportunities through which Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data could be used to improve administration of the MA program. This brief provides an overview of Medicare encounter data and some preliminary recommendations by MedPAC for ways to improve the quality of the data. Click to read more.
May 8, 2018 | Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)
CMS recently released a proposed rule outlining FY2019 Medicare payment updates and quality program changes for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The proposal includes bigger changes for FY2020, shifting from RUG-IV to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) system. Therapy minutes would no longer be a payment factor under PDPM. Instead, payments would be based on clinical characteristics – along with other factors. Click to read more.
May 2, 2018 | Hospitals, Inpatient, LTCHs
CMS pays approximately 3,330 acute care hospitals for inpatient stays under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Subject to certain adjustments, a hospital receives a single payment for the case based on the payment classification – Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Groups (MS-DRGs) – which is assigned at discharge. CMS recently released the FY2019 proposed rule for the IPPS. Click to read more.
