Health Care System

CMS Nov. 2 issued a final rule with comment period updating the requirements of the quality payment program (QPP) for physicians and other eligible clinicians mandated by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. Select highlights follow in this Bulletin.
On Nov. 2, CMS released the calendar year (CY) 2018 physician fee schedule (PFS) final rule. In addition to the standard update to the payment system, the rule finalizes CMSs proposal to make significant additional site-neutral cuts in payment for services furnished in off-campus provider-based…
A new AHA report that finds non-clinical regulatory requirements cost providers nearly $39 billion a year and divert clinicians from patient care.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued its final rule for the physician fee schedule for calendar year 2018. CMS estimates a 0.41% increase in physician payment rates for 2018 compared to 2017, after applying a 0.5% payment increase required by the Medicare…
Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) today unveiled House Republican leaders’ proposal to reform the tax code. Among other changes, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act would eliminate hospitals’ ability to access low-cost capital financing through tax-exempt private activity bonds. In addition, the…
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) yesterday introduced the Healthcare Market Certainty and Mandate Relief Act of 2017 that would fund cost-sharing reduction payments to health insurers for two years and eliminate temporarily…
Press Release Statement on Tax Proposal Contact: Marie Johnson, 202-626-2351, mjohnson@aha.org Colin Milligan, 202-638-5491, cmilligan@aha.org   Tom Nickels Executive Vice President American Hospital Association November 2, 2017  
Press Release Statement on Final CY 2018 Physician Fee Schedule Rule Contact: Colin Milligan, 202-638-5491, cmilligan@aha.org Marie Johnson, 202-626-2351, mjohnson@aha.org   Tom Nickels Executive Vice President American Hospital Association November 2, 2017  
On Nov. 1, the CMS released the calendar year 2018 outpatient prospective payment system/ambulatory surgical center final rule.