Discharge Planning Advisor: Medicare hikes pay for outpatient services
Discharge Planning Advisor
Medicare hikes pay for outpatient services
Hospitals will get a 2.3% payment hike, effective Jan. 1, 2002, under the proposed rule for the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) released in late August by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The rule would achieve the goal of making appropriate reimbursement payments given the ongoing shift of services from inpatient to outpatient setting, according to CMS Administrator Tom Scully.
While the rule outlines possible approaches for CMS in estimating payments for hospitals’ use of "pass-through" devices, drugs, and biological products in outpatient services, it makes no actual estimate. Congress required Medicare to make such payments temporarily, and capped them at 2.5% of the estimated overall amount paid under OPPS.
Currently, should the estimate exceed the cap, an across-the-board cut on all pass-through payments would be required. The proposed rule can be viewed at www.hcfa.gov/regs/propcy2002.htm.
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.