From requiring hospitals to post the cost of services in more consumer-friendly formats to proposing complete coverage of HIV prevention drugs for Medicare enrollees, these are eight CMS updates Becker's has reported since June 22:
CMS released its Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule for 2024 on July 13, which would raise Medicare outpatient payment rates for hospitals and ASCs next year. Under the proposed rule, Medicare payments for hospital outpatient departments would increase by $6 billion in 2024 while Medicare ASC payments would total $6 billion, according to Bloomberg Law. CMS is seeking comments on the proposed rule through Sept. 11 and will issue the final rule in early November.
CMS proposed changing the hospital price transparency regulations July 13 to make them more accessible to patients and more strictly enforce compliance for 2024. Hospitals would be required to make some of the 300 standard charges "shoppable services" by placing them in a consumer-friendly format or offering a price estimator tool patients can use to estimate out-of-pocket costs.
CMS released its annual proposed changes to the physician fee schedule for 2024 on July 13, which includes a $1.14 (3.34 percent) conversion factor decrease from 2023. CMS is accepting comments on the proposal through Sept. 11.
CMS proposed new coverage guidelines July 12 for HIV prevention drugs in Medicare, requiring the program to cover the drugs without cost sharing for beneficiaries. The proposed decision is open for public comment through Aug. 11.
CMS proposed a $9 billion lump sum payment July 10 to hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program to make them whole from unlawful payment cuts from 2018 to 2022. The proposal comes after the Supreme Court in June 2022 sided with hospital groups challenging the payment cuts. Comments for the proposed rule are due by Sept. 5.
CMS proposed a 2.2 percent pay cut July 5 for home health providers next year, or an estimated $375 million less than 2023 levels. The proposed rule would increase payments to 2.7 percent, or $460 million, but home health agencies would see a 5.1 percent decrease that reflects the effects of the permanent behavior assumption adjustment (a $870 million decrease) and an estimated 0.2 percent increase for a proposed update to the fixed-dollar loss ratio used in determining outlier payments (a $35 million increase). The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on July 10, with CMS accepting comments on the draft through Aug. 29.
CMS published updated guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program June 30, based on feedback from more than 7,500 public comments. CMS will publish the list of the first 10 drugs selected to negotiate with the government for pricing on Sept. 1.
CMS proposed a new pathway June 22 for Medicare coverage June of new treatments designated as breakthrough devices. The program, which is voluntary for device makers, would allow Medicare coverage of new devices while evidence about their effectiveness is gathered.