CMS angers hospitals with plans for site- neutral rates in outpatient payment rule. Modern Healthcare business news, research, data and events. The CMS has responded to calls to eliminate patient satisfaction on pain management from Medicare's value- based purchasing program. The agency angered hospitals, however, with plans to stop paying their off- campus facilities the same as hospital- based outpatient departments. The American Hospital Association quickly issued a harshly worded statement criticizing the CMS for declining to include support for hospital outpatient departments. The AHA was among several prominent healthcare associations that had called on the Obama administration to stop incorporating patients' responses to pain- management questions in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) in the value- based purchasing program. HCAHPS results are a significant factor in how hospitals fare under value- based purchasing, and providers have complained the program gives them a financial incentive to over- prescribe painkillers to keep patients happy. The agency said removing the questions from the survey would “mitigate even the perception that there is financial pressure to overprescribe opioids.”However, the CMS also said in a news release that it still believes pain control is “an appropriate part of routine patient care that hospitals should manage.” The agency is currently developing and field- testing new questions to add to the program. The draft rule does include exceptions for dedicated off- campus emergency departments. The CMS notes in its news release that the higher payments received by hospital- owned facilities are a long- standing concern among the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, HHS' Office of Inspector General and lawmakers. Many policy experts believe hospitals are acquiring physician offices at a rapid clip because of the higher rates. America's Essential Hospitals, a trade group that represents safety net providers, said the CMS “appeared to ignore Congress' intent” to use a different payment system for new hospital- owned outpatient facilities. The 7. 64- page proposal also includes changes to the Medicare incentive program for hospitals' use of electronic health records, including allowing hospitals to use any 9. The proposed rule explains how CMS looked at the full range of Inpatient Quality Reporting measures and selected those that met the ACA criteria. CMS Releases Proposed Rule for Hospital Value-Based Purchasing. Key provisions of the proposed rule. Health Industry Washington Watch. Regulations CMS Proposes Hospital Value Based Purchasing Program. The deadline for comments on the draft rule is Sept. Medicare Programs; Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing Program; Proposed Rule. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: In this proposed rule, we are. ACTION: Proposed rule. Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program beginning with FY 2019 under which value-based incentive.
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