Controversial Medicare Cost-Cutting Board Back In Congress’ Crosshairs
The House voted to abolish the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), even though no one has even been appointed to the panel and it's not expected to be triggered until 2021 or 2022.
The Hill:
House Votes To Repeal ObamaCare's Medicare Cost-Cutting Board
The House on Thursday voted to repeal a controversial Medicare cost-cutting board that has drawn the ire of both parties. Lawmakers voted 307-111 to abolish what is known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The board is tasked with coming up with Medicare cuts if spending rises above a certain threshold but has been criticized as outsourcing the work of Congress. (Weixel, 11/2)
CQ:
House Passes Repeal Of Medicare Advisory Board
The Senate has no clear plans to take up a similar bill in the near future, and the bill may not win enough Democratic support to pass that chamber. The board, commonly referred to by its acronym, IPAB, was created under the 2010 health law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152), to identify ways to decrease federal spending on Medicare without affecting coverage or quality. The 15-member board hasn’t actually been formed, though, and isn’t expected to be triggered until 2021, according to a 2017 annual report from the Medicare Trustees. Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe, the lead Republican on the bill, said the types of decisions that IPAB would make when triggered should be made by elected officials. (McIntire, 11/2)
In other Medicare news —
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Allows More Docs To Sit Out MACRA
The CMS has finalized a proposed rule to exempt more small providers from complying with MACRA. It also reversed course on plans to give providers a pass on gauging whether they are cutting costs under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS. Physician practices with less than $90,000 in Medicare revenue or fewer than 200 unique Medicare patients per year would be exempted under the rule finalized Tuesday. The move will exclude about 134,000 more providers. The original threshold for exemption is $30,000 in Medicare revenue or fewer than 100 Medicare patients. (Dickson, 11/2)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Dials Back Plan To Slash Payment For Off-Campus Services By Half
The CMS has finalized its proposal to slash what Medicare pays for healthcare obtained at medical facilities that are owned by hospitals but located off their campuses. The agency released its finalized 2018 physician fee pay rule Thursday, dropping off-campus facilities' rates from 50% to 40% of what they would have been paid under outpatient rates. Originally, the CMS had proposed to drop the rate to 25%. The Obama administration last year finalized a rule that paid hospital off-campus facilities the same as hospital-based outpatient departments if they started billing Medicare after Nov. 2, 2015. (Dickson, 11/2)
