Tag: CMS

CMS grants exceptions for quality reporting to ASCs in Harvey’s path

Editor's Notes The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will grant exceptions for quality reporting requirements for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) located in the path of Hurricane Harvey, the September 1 ASCA News reports. ASCs in affected counties and parishes in Texas and Louisiana will get exceptions without having…

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By: Judy Mathias
September 6, 2017
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Voluntary bundled-payment models shifting to outpatient procedures

Editor's Note Though the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is rolling back mandatory bundled-payment programs, it is expected to release more voluntary, outpatient-focused programs, which shifts power from hospitals to physicians, the August 21 Healthcare Finance News reports. Physician-focused does not require a hospitalization, which creates a complete…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 24, 2017
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CMS proposes canceling two bundled payment models, scaling back a third

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 15 announced a proposed rule that would cancel two bundled-payment models and reduce the number of providers required to participate in a third. The proposed rule would cancel the Episode Payment Models and the Cardiac Rehabilitation incentive payment…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 16, 2017
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Survey: Half of practices spend $40K per physician to comply with federal regs

Editor's Note A new Medical Group Management Association survey of 750 physician group practices finds that nearly half spend more than $40,000 per physician each year to comply with federal regulations, the August 10 FierceHealthcare reports. Respondents say the most burdensome regulation is Medicare’s new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 16, 2017
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Purpose of CMS readmission program questioned

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has only seen a drop in readmissions by 0.1% from 2013 to mid-2016, which has industry experts and hospital leaders questioning its purpose, the August 12 Modern Healthcare reports. The Affordable Care Act mandated program, which…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 14, 2017
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Hospitals partnering with ASCs to perform outpatient total joints

Editor's Note With the growth of ambulatory surgeries and the shift to Medicare reimbursement for outpatient hip and knee replacements, hospitals are acquiring and forming joint ventures with ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the August 5 Modern Healthcare reports. This allows hospitals to keep part of the revenue and better aligns…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 10, 2017
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Medicare ‘meaningful use’ data to be submitted via QualityNet

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced August 7 that hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in  Medicare’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program will submit their “meaningful use” data via QualityNet rather than the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System beginning January 2, 2018,…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 9, 2017
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CMS push to value-based care leading to more burnout

Editor's Note The push by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to transform healthcare delivery at community health centers to value-based care is increasing staff dissatisfaction and burnout, this study finds. From 2013 to 2014, clinicians and staff at 296 centers reported statistically significant declines in multiple measures…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 8, 2017
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CMS releases FY 2018 inpatient PPS final rule

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 2 issued the FY 2018 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which updates Medicare payment and policies when patients are discharged from hospitals. The rule increases rates by 1.2%. This includes an initial market-basket update of 2.7%…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 4, 2017
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Reduction in readmissions not linked to increased mortality

Editor's Note Reductions in readmissions associated with the Affordable Care Act have not had the unintended consequence of increasing mortality after hospital discharge, finds this study. Analysis of more than 5 million Medicare patients hospitalized for heart failure, heart attack, or pneumonia, found that reductions in hospital 30-day readmission rates…

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By: Judy Mathias
July 18, 2017
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