Policies finalized for the 2021 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System call for increasing inpatient payment rates by 2.9 percent, reducing Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments, and collecting median Medicare Advantage charge data.

An Aug. 2 final rule for Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System for fiscal year 2020 will increase inpatient operating payments and Medicare disproportionate share hospital funding and make changes to electronic health records use and quality reporting programs.

The rule increases inpatient operating payment rates by 3.1 percent, makes other payment and quality reporting policy changes, and estimates a $140 million increase in Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments.

America’s Essential Hospitals encouraged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to consider the disproportionately negative financial effect on essential hospitals of certain quality reporting requirements and administrative burden in the Promoting Interoperability Programs.

A new proposed rule would increase inpatient operating payment rates by 3.2 percent and make other changes to Medicare payment and quality reporting policies. CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until June 24.

Hospitals with the greatest proportion of Medicare patients dually eligible for Medicaid had decreased readmissions penalties, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The report includes recommendations on several issues of importance to essential hospitals, including hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospital quality incentive programs, and alternatives to opioids.

Adjusting for social risk factors in Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program results in decreased penalties for hospitals serving a safety-net role.

The agency seeks stakeholder feedback on two disparity methods measuring patient outcomes based on social risk factors; comments are due Dec. 14.

The hospital-specific reports, available for download through Sept. 24, use dual eligibility as the social risk factor for stratification of readmission rates within a hospital and enable comparison of differences across hospitals.

The confidential reports, available Aug. 24, will allow hospitals to review two disparity methods that assess performance for patients with social risk factors.

The final rule increases Medicare inpatient payment rates to acute care hospitals by 1.85 percent, revises electronic health record requirements, and changes the payment adjustment methodology for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

A new proposed rule for Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System for fiscal year 2019 would increase inpatient operating payment rates by 1.75 percent.

The April 18 webinar will explain the benefits of voluntary submission in calendar year 2018, share reporting resources, and answer attendee questions.

The reports provide estimated hospital-level proportions of dual-eligible patients, peer group assignments, and payment adjustment information using the program's new stratified methodology.

The final rule updates Medicare inpatient rates to acute care hospitals by 1.21 percent, provides flexibility in reporting of electronic clinical quality measures, and changes the payment adjustment methodology for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

America’s Essential Hospitals encourages CMS to improve transparency, risk adjust, and reduce regulatory burden for essential hospitals.

The study found that the penalty burden was greater in hospitals treating a high share of patients with socioeconomic disadvantages.

The rule would raise inpatient operating payment rates, revise Medicare DSH payment methodology, and apply a transitional methodology for HRRP penalties.

The rule contains provisions on the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, Medicare DSH, the Inpatient Quality Reporting program, and more.

Hospital participation in Medicare value-based programs in 2015, including ACOs and bundled payments, was associated with 2,377 fewer readmissions and $32.7 million in savings.

CMS on Dec. 19 refreshed its Hospital Compare site, including data on the Ambulatory Surgical Center Program, Hospital Readmission Reduction Program & more.

President Obama signs the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes the historic risk adjustment provision and also provides partial relief to hospitals from cuts to off-campus outpatient department payments.

The legislation, expected to quickly receive the president's signature, includes two key advocacy goals for the association: risk adjustment of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program and partial relief from hospital outpatient department payment cuts.

The campaign of online and print advertisements and media outreach calls on Congress to pass legislation to risk adjust the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Association president and CEO argues that hospitals serving disadvantaged communities are penalized by federal quality initiatives that do not account for socioeconomic obstacles.

State hospital association says risk adjusting CMS readmissions methodology results in significantly less variation in measured quality differences among hospitals.

First of five consensus reports from National Academy of Medicine (NAM) ad hoc committee identifies social risk factors for Medicare payment and quality programs, and the measures they can impact.

Rule includes a net increase in IPPS payment rates of 0.9 percent, Medicare DSH cuts of $1.2 billion in FY 2016, and updates to the HAC Reduction, Hospital VBP, IQR, and EHR Incentive programs.

Comments caution CMS about Medicare DSH payment cuts and urge CMS to ensure measures and methodologies used in quality reporting programs are adjusted for sociodemographic factors.

May 29 webinar will focus on quality reporting program proposals, impact of changes to HAC Reduction Program and Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

The rule includes provisions on several topics, including a payment update, Medicare disproportionate share hospital cuts, Medicare payment for short inpatient hospital stays, and the Readmissions Reduction Program.

America's Essential Hospitals supports legislation, which seeks to ensure hospitals are not unfairly penalized for patients' sociodemographic challenges

The interactive toolkit and guide aim to address the unique clinical and socioeconomic characteristics of Medicaid patients that can lead to readmissions.

A recent study published in Health Affairs found that California essential hospitals were more likely to be penalized than other California hospitals under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, despite lower 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rates.

NQF board adopts recommendation to assess sociodemographic risk adjustment of certain quality measures during a trial period.

CMS is inviting interested stakeholders to review and comment on a hospitalwide all-cause unplanned readmission hybrid electronic clinical quality measure.

Comments cover topics such as Medicare disproportionate share hospital payment cuts and risk adjustment for socioeconomic status.

The bill would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to consider socioeconomic status of hospital patient populations in its calculation of penalties under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

The letter addresses the unintended consequences for essential hospitals of the current readmissions penalty methodology and asks federal agencies to work with Congress.

Boston Medical Center has released an update to Project RED, their toolkit focused on discharge safety and reducing hospital readmissions. Included is a new chapter that provides guidance to hospitals on how to best integrate family caregivers into the discharge plan.

Legislation expected next week from Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH) would help ensure Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program does not unfairly penalize hospitals that care for vulnerable patients. The association offered support for the bill, which would protect hospitals whose patients might experience higher readmission rates due to socioeconomic conditions.

Penalties will disproportionately fall on hospitals serving a high number of dual eligibles

Hospitals that treat a large share of low-income patients receive add-on payments to the amount designated by IPPS

Rule finalizes several inpatient prospective payment system provisions

Rule includes proposed formula to make Medicare DSH reductions under ACA

Rule proposes several inpatient prospective payment system provisions