Posted
on July 30, 2021
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Friday, July 30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.
Final Medicare Payment Regulations for FY 2022
CMS has published four final rules for Medicare payments in FY 2022:
(See also CMS’s fact sheet)
(See also CMS’s fact sheet)
(See also CMS’s fact sheet)
(See also CMS’s fact sheet)
The White House
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Posted
on July 27, 2021
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.
CDC Updates Mask Guidance
- The CDC has updated its guidance on the use of masks as a means of protection from COVID-19, encouraging even vaccinated people to wear masks indoors when they are in areas with a high rate of COVID-19 transmission. It also calls on students and staff members of kindergarten–grade 12 schools and institutions of higher education, health care workers, residents and staff members of long-term-care facilities, incarcerated persons, homeless persons, and workers in high-density work sites to wear masks regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. Go here to see the new guidance, which includes metrics for determining whether individual areas have a high rate of COVID-19 transmission.
Justice Department
- The Justice Department has issued an opinion on whether section 564 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits entities from requiring the use of a vaccine available only under emergency use authorization. The opinion says the provision does not prohibit private or public entities from requiring EUA-only authorized COVID-19 vaccines of workers and students.
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Posted
on July 22, 2021
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 22. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.
White House
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Health Policy News
- CMS has published its proposed calendar year 2022 Medicare outpatient prospective payment system regulation. Among other subjects, the proposed regulation addresses hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center payment rates, hospital price transparency, the section 340B prescription drug discount program, changes in the inpatient-only list and ambulatory surgery center covered procedures list, changes in the hospital outpatient and surgery center quality reporting programs, the newly created rural emergency hospital provider type, the Radiation Oncology Model, temporary flexibilities implemented to facilitate the response to COVID-19, and more. Stakeholder comments are due by September 17. Learn more from the following resources.
- CMS’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation has updated the web page of its Radiation Oncology Model to reflect changes
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Filed under:
340b,
Alternative payment models,
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
CMMI,
Coronavirus,
COVID-19,
MACPAC,
Medicaid,
Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission,
Medicare regulations,
Medicare reimbursement policy
Posted
on July 16, 2021
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Friday, July 16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.
White House
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Health Policy News
- CMS is providing notifications to facilities that were determined to be out of compliance with Quality Reporting Program (QRP) requirements for CY 2020, which will affect their FY 2022 Annual Payment Update (APU). Non-compliance notifications are being distributed by the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and were placed into facilities’ CASPER folders in QIES, for Hospice and SNFs, and into facilities’ My Reports folders in iQIES for IRFs and LTCHs onJuly 14, 2021. Facilities that receive a letter of non-compliance may submit a request for reconsideration to CMS via email no later than11:59 pm on August 13, 2021. Facilities that receive a notice of non-compliance and would like to request a reconsideration should see the instructions in their notice of non-compliance and on the appropriate QRP webpage:
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Posted
on July 14, 2021
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.
CMS – Proposed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule
CMS has released its proposed Medicare physician fee schedule rule for 2022. Highlights of the proposed rule, which is more than 1700 pages, include:
- loosening current restrictions on the use of telehealth and expanding its use for behavioral health services;
- expanding the reach of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program;
- requiring clinicians to meet a higher performance threshold to receive incentives under the Quality Payment Program;
- authorizing physician assistants to bill Medicare directly for the Part B services they provide; and
- phasing out coinsurance for colorectal screening additional services.
In addition, CMS is soliciting stakeholder feedback on health equity data collection and on current Medicare payments for administering vaccines.
For further information about the proposed physician fee schedule rule, see the following resources:
CMS’s news release announcing the newly proposed rule
a CMS fact sheet
quality program update fact sheet
Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program update fact sheet
the proposed rule itself
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Health Policy News…
