Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Urged To Reverse Course Over Site-Neutral Payment Policy For Off-Campus Hospital Facilities
Modern Healthcare: Medicare's Site-Neutral Pay Plan Targeted In Hospitals' Lobbying
Hospitals are lobbying Capitol Hill lawmakers this week to push the CMS to ax its site-neutral payment proposals that would cut Medicare's evaluation-and-management rates for off-campus hospital facilities to the rate independent doctors' offices receive. Now that the comment period on the proposed 2019 outpatient prospective payment system, or OPPS, rule has officially closed, the American Hospital Association is gathering lawmakers' signatures to add to a letter by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). The letter asks the agency to reverse course on its site-neutral policy in the proposed rule. (Luthi, 9/25)
In other Medicare news —
Kaiser Health News: Medicare Eases Readmission Penalties Against Safety-Net Hospitals
On orders from Congress, Medicare is easing up on its annual readmission penalties on hundreds of hospitals serving the most low-income residents, records released last week show. Since 2012, Medicare has punished hospitals for having too many patients end up back in their care within a month. The government estimates the hospital industry will lose $566 million in the latest round of penalties that will stretch over the next 12 months. The penalties are a signature part of the Affordable Care Act’s effort to encourage better care. (Rau, 9/26)
