The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued its long-term care hospital prospective payment system final rule for fiscal year 2020. Under the rule, payments would increase by 1.0%, $43 million, relative to FY 2019. This net increase is comprised of a $91 million increase for standard-rate cases and a $49 million decrease for site-neutral cases. Also, as mandated by law, CMS finalized a payment cut for LTCHs that have fewer than 50% of cases qualifying for the standard rate. This policy includes a process to determine how providers can return to "50% Rule" compliance. CMS also finalized the adoption of two new quality measures on transfer of patient health information in the LTCH Quality Reporting Program, as well as the adoption of several standardized patient assessment data elements.

Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 22 released implementation guidance following a district court ruling July 16 that…
Headline
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia July 21 upheld a lower court’s decision that Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act does not …
Headline
The AHA July 14 urged the Health Resources and Services Administration to revise its estimate of the administrative burden associated with the agency’s…
Headline
The AHA today filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the Department of Health and Human Services’ motion to dismiss AbbVie’s lawsuit …
Headline
The Health Resources and Services Administration announced that 340B covered entities purchased $100 billion in outpatient drugs under the federal 340B Drug…
Perspective
Public
As we move into the second half of 2026 and Congress returns to work in Washington, D.C., next week, lawmakers face a list of difficult issues that demand…