Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite Court Ruling, CMS To Move Forward With Site-Neutral Payments For Doctor's Visits
Modern Healthcare: CMS Moves Forward With Site-Neutral Payments, Slashes 340B Payments
The CMS on Friday will move forward with site-neutral payments for doctor's visits, even though a federal judge ruled against the policy earlier this year. The Trump administration will roll out the payments under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System, which will pay doctors the same amount for a basic visit whether it takes place in a hospital outpatient facility or a regular doctors' office. The CMS estimates that the change will cut copays for people on Medicare and slash federal spending by $800 million in 2020. Outpatient clinics are more expensive than physicians' offices, and shifting visits to a lower cost setting could save money. (Brady, 11/1)
In related news from CMS —
Modern Healthcare: CMS Is Changing How It Pays Doctors To Coordinate Care
The CMS on Friday finalized rules that modify how physicians get paid for evaluation and management services and changes how the agency determines the financial rewards that doctors receive for improving healthcare quality and lowering costs. The final physician fee schedule rule updates E/M codes for every specialty in 2020, but the CMS targeted its changes to encourage primary care physicians and other clinicians to spend more time coordinating care for their patients. (Brady, 11/1)
Modern Healthcare: New CMS Skilled-Nursing Pay Model Likely Dampened October Hiring
Skilled-nursing facilities shed an estimated 1,300 jobs in October, likely the effect of a new CMS payment model that's prompted some providers to lay off workers. Hiring in the sector had already been weak in recent months—preliminary numbers showed skilled nursing added just 1,100 jobs in September. But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest preliminary employment figures, released Friday, shows that the CMS' new patient-driven payment model is likely having a negative effect on hiring in the skilled nursing sector. (Bannow, 11/1)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Finalizes Home Health Pay, Kidney Care Rules
The Trump administration on Thursday finalized a 1.3% pay bump next year for home health agencies and created a new home infusion therapy benefit. The $250 million raise is the same as initially proposed in July. Separately, the CMS increased payments for home health agencies participating in the Patient-Driven Groupings Model. They will receive 4% more in their 30-day payments than earlier suggested. (Livingston, 10/31)
