MedPAC Suggests Cutting Reimbursement Rates For Some Stand-Alone Emergency Departments
If the payment change is enacted, urban facilities would be paid similarly to off-campus facilities that are not open 24/7 and lack additional support personnel to handle trauma or non-urgent issues.
Modern Healthcare:
MedPAC Votes To Cut Payments For Free-Standing ERs
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted unanimously to cut reimbursement for some stand-alone emergency departments in urban areas. The proposal could save Medicare up to $250 million annually if adopted by Congress. Hospital industry stakeholders immediately slammed the idea, arguing the cuts could undermine access to care. (Dickson, 4/5)
In other Medicare news —
Reuters:
U.S. Medicare Sets Outpatient Rate For Yescarta Reimbursement
Medicare, the U.S. government healthcare program for the elderly and disabled, will pay hospitals close to its standard mark-up rate for administering cell therapy Yescarta for cancer outpatients, who will have a co-payment of nearly $80,000, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Additional Medicare reimbursement for inpatients has been requested by Yescarta maker Gilead Sciences Inc and Novartis AG, which makes Kymriah, a similar therapy. Both therapies were approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration and are being used by growing number of major cancer centers. (Beasley, 4/5)
