Ways & Means Committee Leaders Announce Bipartisan Medicare Extenders Package
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Ways & Means Committee Leaders Announce Bipartisan Medicare
"This agreement extends, or makes permanent with reforms, numerous expiring Medicare payment policies that will help provide continuity and certainty for both the patients who rely on them and the providers who serve America's seniors," said Chairman Brady. "I appreciate Ranking Member Neal's commitment to reach a bipartisan deal, and I look forward to working with our colleagues in the
"I'm pleased that Chairman Brady and I have been able to come to an agreement that addresses Medicare extenders in a fair way," said Ranking Member Neal. "I believe this compromise will provide an important stepping stone as
Background:
Earlier this month,
The majority of the Medicare extenders expire at the end of the year. For provisions such as the hospital extenders that expired at the end of September, the
The contours of the bipartisan agreement are described below:
Medicare Extender Policies. The bipartisan Ways and Means Medicare extenders agreement provides either a two- or five-year extension of the various MACRA policies. In general, longer-term extensions are coupled with policy changes to improve efficiencies in the Medicare program.
*Two-year straight extension of the Medicare Dependent Hospital Program and the Low-Volume Adjustment Program.
*Five-year straight extension of the
*Permanent extension of exceptions process for Medicare with the repeal of the therapy caps (previously announced bipartisan agreement).
*Two-year straight extension of the Medicare geographic payment cost index for physician payments.
*Five-year extension of the Ground Ambulance Add-Ons and ground ambulance payment modifications, as reported by Ways and Means.
*Five-year reauthorization of special needs plans (SNPs), as reported by Ways and Means.
*Two-year extension of the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP).
*Two-year extension of funding for consensus based entity work on quality measures.
Medicare Extender Policy Offsets. The bipartisan agreement includes a number of offsets that were reported out of the
*Medicare Advantage telehealth, as reported by the
*Medicare Advantage termination authority, as reported by the
*Extension of the current law policy related to misvalued codes for physician services.
*Non-emergency transportation payment modification reduction related to end stage renal dialysis transportation, as reported by the
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*Modifications to skilled nursing facility payment, including MedPAC recommendations and building blocks to payment reform.
*Modifications to home health agency payment, including MedPAC recommendations and building blocks to payment reform.
*Modification of payments for critical access hospital swing beds, including HHS OIG recommendations and regulatory relief.
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