Medicare Giving Hospices Pay Bump For Next Year
Meanwhile, academic and rural hospitals will likely see a cut in funding.
Modern Healthcare:
Hospices Getting $340 Million Medicare Raise For 2019
The CMS plans to give hospices a 1.8%, or $340 million, reimbursement bump next year, according to a final rulemaking. That's up from the 1%, or $180 million, pay hike they got last year. The CMS also finalized new standards to help determine what measures hospices will no longer have to report under its meaningful measures initiative. As the agency mulls what measures to eliminate, it will consider the costs associated with a measure and weigh them against the benefit of its continued use. (Dickson, 8/1)
Modern Healthcare:
Academic Hospitals Could See Medicare Cuts Under Billing Code Plan
Academic and rural hospitals will likely see a cut in Medicare funding if the CMS finalizes a proposal to reduce reimbursement for more-complex patients, according to a Moody's Investors Service analysis released Monday. Under the CMS' newly proposed payment structure, the agency wants to equalize payments for several billing codes rather than paying more for complex cases and less for simpler patient cases. That effectively will give primary-care physicians a pay raise and specialists a pay cut, Moody's said in a note. (Dickson, 7/31)