GreisGuide to LTACHs » payment

MedPAC Releases 2010 Final Report Recommending Payment Updates for LTACHs and other FFS Providers

Jason Greis — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:00:05 +0000

On March 1, 2010, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (“MedPAC” or the “Commission”) released its 2010 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy (the “Final Report”). The purpose of the Final Report is to recommend annual Medicare payment updates for the following nine Medicare fee-for-service (“FFS”) payment systems: hospitals, physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient dialysis services, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, home health services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services and long-term acute care hospital services. Read More...

CMS Proposes New Prospective Payment System for Renal Dialysis Facilities

Jason Greis — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:35:49 +0000

CMS recently proposed its new bundled prospective payment system (PPS) for dialysis services provided in ESRD facilities. Mandated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, the new payment system would provide a single bundled payment to dialysis facilities for all goods and services provided during dialysis treatment. In addition to the bundling of charges, the proposed rule includes three quality measures that CMS intends to use for its Quality Incentive Program.

LTACHs and other Post-Acute Providers are Not Eligible for Funds to Implement EHR Technology under the HITECH Act

Jason Greis — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:53:08 +0000

Many LTACHs and other post-acute care providers have inquired whether they are eligible to apply for and receive incentive payments to adopt certified electronic health record (“EHR”) technology under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the “HITECH Act” or the “Act”). To put it simply, the answer appears to be “no.” Read More...

Senate Finance Committee Health Reform Option Paper Proposals Would Impact Post-Acute Care Providers

Jason Greis — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:42:45 +0000

On April 29, 2009 the Senate Finance Committee (“Committee”) released the first of three health reform option papers exploring proposals for reducing costs and improving quality and efficiency in the country’s health care delivery system. The second option paper addressing potential solutions for reforming health coverage decisions was released on May 14, and the final option paper discussing solutions for financing health care reform is scheduled to be released on May 20. The policy options contained in the first option paper would shift Medicare payments to post-acute care providers from volume‐based to value‐based purchasing by providing new payment incentives for care that contributes to positive patient outcomes. The first option paper contains a number of proposals that, if enacted, would significantly affect Medicare payments to long-term acute care hospitals (“LTACH”). Read More...