The question of whether Medicare should pay different rates for outpatient services delivered in different types of settings was very much on the minds of Medicare Payment Advisory Commission members during their public meetings last week.

The issue has been around for a while:  are there valid reasons for some facilities to be paid more for certain outpatient services than other facilities?  Or should the payment rate for a given service be the same regardless of where that service is delivered?  Does the site of the service matter – or should it?

At issue are Medicare payments made to private physician offices, hospital outpatient departments, and ambulatory surgical centers and whether they should be adjusted based on some of the underlying costs associated with those facilities or the matter of who owns them – or whether a service is a service that should be reimbursed at the same rate regardless of where it is delivered.  Underlying this issue is whether providers should be compensated for such services through Medicare’s outpatient prospective payment system or its physician fee schedule.

It matters where MedPAC ultimately comes down on this issue.  While the agency’s primary role is to advise Congress on Medicare payment …

Should Medicare continue to encourage the use of telehealth when the COVID-19 pandemic ends?

Should it continue to pay for telehealth when the there is no “tele” in the service and it is audio only?

And should Medicare pay different rates for visits in person, telehealth visits, and audio-only (that is, telephone) visits?

These were among the questions addressed by members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission during their public meetings last week.

Members also discussed the need for further analysis of the effectiveness of telehealth and audio-only visits, how to identify audio-only visits on Medicare claims, how to collect data from home health agencies and hospices, which are not required to submit telehealth data, and more.

Learn more about what MedPAC is thinking about the use of telehealth in the future in the MedPage Today article “Medicare Advisors Consider Post-Pandemic Telehealth Pay Policy.”…

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, November 4.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

New Federal Vaccination Requirements

CMS has unveiled its new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for health care providers that receive reimbursement from the federal government.  The highlights include:

• CMS is requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
• The staff vaccination requirement applies to the following Medicare and Medicaid-certified provider and supplier types:  ambulatory surgery centers, community mental health centers, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities, critical access hospitals, end-stage renal disease facilities, home health agencies, home infusion therapy suppliers, hospices, hospitals, intermediate-care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, clinics, rehabilitation agencies, public health agencies as providers of outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology services, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Organizations (PACE), rural health clinics/federally qualified health centers, and long-term care facilities.
• Facilities covered by this regulation must establish a policy ensuring that all eligible staff have received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine prior to providing any care,

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, October 25.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

Provider Relief Fund:  Deadline for Submission is Tuesday, October 26

• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will accept applications for $25.5 billion in health care relief funds until October 26.  Go here for further information.
• HRSA has modified some of the terms for applying for assistance.  All applicants must complete the first step of the application process (i.e., submitting their Tax Identification Number (TIN) and associated information for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) validation no later than October 26, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST.  The required IRS validation that occurs after completion of the first step may take a few days.  If an applicant submits their TIN for validation by the October 26, 2021 deadline and that TIN is subsequently validated by the IRS, the applicant will have until November 3, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST to complete and submit their application.
• The Provider Relief Fund FAQ has been updated with seven modified or new questions on pages 4, 9, 10 (two questions), 37, and

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

Provider Relief Fund:  Reminder That Applications Are Now Being Accepted

• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has opened its portal for providers to apply for $25.5 billion in health care relief funds, including $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan resources for providers that serve rural patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 grants for a broad range of providers that have experienced changes in operating revenues and expenses as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.  The application period runs for four weeks.  Providers must submit their completed application by October 26.  Go here for further information.

The White House

• The White House has posted a transcript of the October 6 press briefing given by its COVID-19 response team and public officials.  Find the slides presented during the briefing here.  During the briefing, White House officials announced that the administration will spend an additional $1 billion on COVID-19 tests in the coming months.