Healthcare Dive writes: The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended in its annual June report the consolidation of four hospital reporting programs into a small set of population health and patient experience measures that consider social determinants. MedPAC also refined its recommendations for freestanding emergency departments, creating a differentiation in payment for urban and rural EDs. Rural facilities could voluntarily elect to become outpatient-only, be paid for emergency and clinical services and receive a fixed block subsidy for operating costs. Urban facilities, which often treat lower-acuity patients, would have payments reduced by 30%. Additionally, MedPAC has determined CMS’ Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was ultimately successful in its stated mission. However, the commission believes hospital mortality may have increased for patients with heart failure after the implementation of HRRP.
Read more:
- MedPAC recommends quality measure consolidation. Healthcare Dive. June 18 2018