Small and Rural

Millions of Americans worry about the high costs of life-saving prescription drugs. That’s why 25 years ago, Congress created the 340B Drug Pricing Program to help hospitals expand access to prescription drugs and support essential services for our most vulnerable patients. The program constitutes…
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…
Press Release Statement on MACRA Physician Quality Payment Program Final Rule for CY 2018 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.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced it will update the hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by 1.35% in calendar year 2018 compared to CY 2017. The rule also finalizes CMS’s proposal to drastically cut Medicare payment for drugs that are acquired…