Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Update To Controversial Hospital Star Ratings Delayed Until Expert Panel Reviews Changes
Modern Healthcare: CMS Won't Update Hospital Star Ratings Until Expert Panel Review
An update to the controversial hospital star ratings on Hospital Compare won't happen this summer. In an email to Modern Healthcare, a CMS spokeswoman said the next update to the hospital star ratings will not occur until a technical expert panel reviews the methodology and offers changes. (Castellucci, 7/12)
In other news from CMS —
Modern Healthcare: CMS Proposes Home Health Agency Pay Raise
The CMS issued a proposed rule this week that would boost payment rates for home health agencies in 2020 and continue implementing several changes to the way it pays for the services they provide. The rule also includes proposals for a permanent home infusion therapy benefit to take effect in 2021. The agency estimated that the proposed policies will increase payments to home health agencies by 1.3%, or $250 million, in 2020. (Livingston, 7/12)
Modern Healthcare: More Clinicians Received MIPS Bonuses In Year 2
Although more clinicians who participated in year two of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System will receive a bonus compared to year one, there are less participants overall, the CMS announced Friday. The agency said 97.6% of clinicians who participated in MIPS last year will receive a positive payment adjustment on each of their Medicare Part B claims in 2020, which is slightly higher than 2017 when 93.1% of clinicians got a bonus last year. At the same time, the number of participants in the program dropped from 1.06 million to 916,058. (Castelluci, 7/12)
