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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule on outpatient department and ambulatory surgery center payment for 2015 expands the agency’s focus on bundling pay for device-related procedures.
The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule also continues the same payment rate for outpatient drug delivery such as chemotherapy. That payment rate has been a source of disappointment for oncologists.
The agency is proposing again in 2015 to continue paying average sales price plus 6% for non–pass through drugs and biologicals that are administered under Part B of Medicare.
The rule published on July 14 covers payment for 4,000 hospitals, including general acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, children’s hospitals, and cancer hospitals. It also applies to 5,300 ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that participate in Medicare.
Overall, the government is proposing to increase payments to outpatient departments by 2%. The CMS expects to pay out $57 billion for outpatient services in 2015. Payments to ASCs will increase just over 1% to $4 billion.
The agency is proposing to expand its Comprehensive Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) policy, which was first discussed in its 2014 rule. The idea is to give a single Medicare payment and require a single beneficiary copayment for the entire hospital stay for a group of 28 procedures, including pacemaker insertion, implantation of neurostimulators, and stereotactic radiosurgery.
In GI procedures and stents, CPT codes 43274 and 43276, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stent placement into the biliary or pancreatic duct including dilation, guide wire passage, and sphincterotomy were reassigned to APC 0384. The single, bundled payments would begin in 2015.
The proposed rule also contains adjustments to both the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and the ASC Quality Reporting Program. On the hospital side, the CMS is proposing to remove three quality measures, stating that performance has been uniformly high among reporting facilities. Those measures are aspirin at arrival (cardiac care), timing of prophylaxis antibiotics, and prophylactic antibiotic selection for surgical patients. The agency is proposing to add a claims-based measure – facility 7-day risk-standardized hospital visit rate after outpatient colonoscopy – for 2017 and beyond.
For ASCs, the agency is proposing to continue its effort to align measures with the hospital program. In 2015, ASCs will be required to report on the 7-day risk-standardized visit rate after outpatient colonoscopy measure.
The CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until Sept. 2, 2014. A final rule will be issued by Nov. 1.
On Twitter @aliciaault
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule on outpatient department and ambulatory surgery center payment for 2015 expands the agency’s focus on bundling pay for device-related procedures.
The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule also continues the same payment rate for outpatient drug delivery such as chemotherapy. That payment rate has been a source of disappointment for oncologists.
The agency is proposing again in 2015 to continue paying average sales price plus 6% for non–pass through drugs and biologicals that are administered under Part B of Medicare.
The rule published on July 14 covers payment for 4,000 hospitals, including general acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, children’s hospitals, and cancer hospitals. It also applies to 5,300 ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that participate in Medicare.
Overall, the government is proposing to increase payments to outpatient departments by 2%. The CMS expects to pay out $57 billion for outpatient services in 2015. Payments to ASCs will increase just over 1% to $4 billion.
The agency is proposing to expand its Comprehensive Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) policy, which was first discussed in its 2014 rule. The idea is to give a single Medicare payment and require a single beneficiary copayment for the entire hospital stay for a group of 28 procedures, including pacemaker insertion, implantation of neurostimulators, and stereotactic radiosurgery.
In GI procedures and stents, CPT codes 43274 and 43276, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stent placement into the biliary or pancreatic duct including dilation, guide wire passage, and sphincterotomy were reassigned to APC 0384. The single, bundled payments would begin in 2015.
The proposed rule also contains adjustments to both the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and the ASC Quality Reporting Program. On the hospital side, the CMS is proposing to remove three quality measures, stating that performance has been uniformly high among reporting facilities. Those measures are aspirin at arrival (cardiac care), timing of prophylaxis antibiotics, and prophylactic antibiotic selection for surgical patients. The agency is proposing to add a claims-based measure – facility 7-day risk-standardized hospital visit rate after outpatient colonoscopy – for 2017 and beyond.
For ASCs, the agency is proposing to continue its effort to align measures with the hospital program. In 2015, ASCs will be required to report on the 7-day risk-standardized visit rate after outpatient colonoscopy measure.
The CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until Sept. 2, 2014. A final rule will be issued by Nov. 1.
On Twitter @aliciaault
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule on outpatient department and ambulatory surgery center payment for 2015 expands the agency’s focus on bundling pay for device-related procedures.
The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule also continues the same payment rate for outpatient drug delivery such as chemotherapy. That payment rate has been a source of disappointment for oncologists.
The agency is proposing again in 2015 to continue paying average sales price plus 6% for non–pass through drugs and biologicals that are administered under Part B of Medicare.
The rule published on July 14 covers payment for 4,000 hospitals, including general acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, children’s hospitals, and cancer hospitals. It also applies to 5,300 ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that participate in Medicare.
Overall, the government is proposing to increase payments to outpatient departments by 2%. The CMS expects to pay out $57 billion for outpatient services in 2015. Payments to ASCs will increase just over 1% to $4 billion.
The agency is proposing to expand its Comprehensive Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) policy, which was first discussed in its 2014 rule. The idea is to give a single Medicare payment and require a single beneficiary copayment for the entire hospital stay for a group of 28 procedures, including pacemaker insertion, implantation of neurostimulators, and stereotactic radiosurgery.
In GI procedures and stents, CPT codes 43274 and 43276, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stent placement into the biliary or pancreatic duct including dilation, guide wire passage, and sphincterotomy were reassigned to APC 0384. The single, bundled payments would begin in 2015.
The proposed rule also contains adjustments to both the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and the ASC Quality Reporting Program. On the hospital side, the CMS is proposing to remove three quality measures, stating that performance has been uniformly high among reporting facilities. Those measures are aspirin at arrival (cardiac care), timing of prophylaxis antibiotics, and prophylactic antibiotic selection for surgical patients. The agency is proposing to add a claims-based measure – facility 7-day risk-standardized hospital visit rate after outpatient colonoscopy – for 2017 and beyond.
For ASCs, the agency is proposing to continue its effort to align measures with the hospital program. In 2015, ASCs will be required to report on the 7-day risk-standardized visit rate after outpatient colonoscopy measure.
The CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until Sept. 2, 2014. A final rule will be issued by Nov. 1.
On Twitter @aliciaault