The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued a proposed rule to update hospice payment rates for fiscal year 2022. CMS proposes a 2.3% ($530 million) net increase to payments, compared to FY 2021. This includes a 2.5% market basket update and a 0.2 percentage point cut for productivity. The agency also proposed a new methodology to assess hospice aide competencies.

CMS proposes to add one new quality measure as well as a Star Rating based on patient surveys to the Care Compare website. In addition, the rule requests comments on how to better address health inequities through data collection to aid relevant analysis. CMS will accept comments on the rule through June 7.

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The AHA shared the following statement with the media in response to a report released May 7 by Families USA.   “This report is long on rhetoric and…
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced May 6 that it will provide access to certain glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications to eligible…
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The Health Resources and Services Administration will award grants to rural hospitals and other providers from two areas of its Rural Communities Opioid…
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has begun collecting private payor rate data through its Fee-for-Service Data Collection System Clinical Lab…
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Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., April 30 introduced the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Reauthorization Act, legislation that…
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Applications are now open for the AHA Rural Hospital Excellence in Innovation Award, which recognizes and shares the accomplishments of rural hospitals that…