CMS Finalizes 2018 Payment and Policy Updates for Medicare Hospital Admissions
The
"This final rule will help provide flexibility for acute and long-term care hospitals as they care for Medicare's sickest patients," said CMS Administrator
In the final rule, CMS is increasing the amount of uncompensated care payments made to acute care hospitals by
In relieving providers of administrative burdens and encouraging patient choice, CMS is finalizing a one-year regulatory moratorium on the payment reduction threshold for patient admissions in long-term care hospitals. CMS continues to evaluate this policy. CMS is also finalizing provisions that reduce clinical quality measure reporting requirements for hospitals that have implemented electronic health records.
Due to the combination of payment rate increases and other policies and payment adjustments, particularly in changes in uncompensated care payments, acute care hospitals will see a total increase in Medicare spending on inpatient hospital payments of
In addition to the payment and policy updates for Medicare hospital admissions, the final rule addresses changes to how the public is notified of Medicare terminations of certain providers and implements the statutory extension of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration.
CMS also today issued a notice with comment period updating 2018 Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient psychiatric facilities. CMS estimates that Medicare payments to inpatient psychiatric facilities will increase by
For a fact sheet on the fiscal year 2018 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System final rule, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-08-02.html
For a fact sheet on the fiscal year 2018 Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Prospective Payment System notice with comment period, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-08-02-2.html
The fiscal year 2018 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System final rule (CMS-1677-F) and the fiscal year 2018 Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Prospective Payment System notice with comment period (CMS-1673-NC) can be downloaded from the
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