The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revealed how it proposes paying hospitals for Medicare-covered outpatient services in 2017.
Among other matters, the 764-page proposed regulation addresses:
- proposed rate increases for outpatient and ambulatory surgery center services;
- new site-neutral outpatient payment policies;
- changes in the value-based purchasing program;
- changes in hospital outpatient quality reporting requirements;
- electronic health record policies; and
- changes in ambulatory surgical center quality reporting requirements.
Interested parties have until September 6 to submit written comments to CMS. The final rule will be published later this year and take effect on January 1, 2017. To learn more about what CMS has proposed for Medicare outpatient payments go here to see a CMS fact sheet and here to see the proposed regulation itself.