Keeping You UP to DATE:

Keeping You UP to DATE:

Based on the Press release from CMS.Gov: 

CMS Issues Proposed Hospital Inpatient Payment Regulation

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently issued a proposed rule for 2015 that reduces payment for readmissions and hospital-acquired conditions. This proposed rule is intended to strengthen the tie between payment and quality improvement.

CMS said in an announcement that the aim of the proposed rule is to improve hospital performance while "creating an environment for improved Medicare beneficiary care and satisfaction." The agency proposes to increase the payment rate for inpatient stays at general acute care hospitals by 1.3 percent in fiscal year 2015.The rule describes how hospitals can comply with the Affordable Care Act's requirements to disclose charges for their services online or in response to a request, supporting price transparency for patients and the public.

Readmission reductions: Increase the maximum reduction in payments under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program from 2% to 3% in fiscal year 2015. The agency is also considering assessing hospitals a penalty if they use the five readmissions measures endorsed by the National Quality forum.

Value-based purchasing: Increase incentive payments to 1.5% of base operating diagnosis-related group payment amounts to all participating hospitals. CMS estimated the total amount available for value-based incentives will be $1.4 billion.

Hospital-acquired conditions: A 1% reduction in payments for hospitals scoring in the top quartile of these preventable conditions. CMS projects the HAC program has saved close to $25 million by reducing Medicare payments for these conditions.

CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until June 30, 2014

Go to www.ICH-Global.com and visit the News page for details and more information links.