May 1 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), invites comments on its proposed rule to revise the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals; make changes relating to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; update the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs); and make other policy-related changes.
To be assured consideration, comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. EDT on June 9, 2023.
This FY 2024 IPPS/LTCH PPS proposed rule would make payment and policy changes under the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals as well as for certain hospitals and hospital units excluded from the IPPS. In addition, it would make payment and policy changes for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) under the long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS). This proposed rule would also make policy changes to programs associated with Medicare IPPS hospitals, IPPS-excluded hospitals, and LTCHs. In this FY 2024 proposed rule, we are proposing to continue policies to address wage index disparities impacting low wage index hospitals. We are also proposing to make changes relating to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals and new technology add-on payments.
We are proposing to establish new requirements and revise existing requirements for eligible hospitals and CAHs participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.
In the Hospital VBP Program, we are proposing to add one new measure, substantively modify two existing measures, add technical changes to the administration of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey, and change the scoring policy to include a health equity scoring adjustment and modify the Total Performance Score (TPS) maximum to be 110, resulting in numeric score range of 0 to 110. We are also providing estimated and newly established performance standards for the FY 2026 through FY 2029 program years for the Hospital VBP Program. In the HAC Reduction Program, we are proposing to establish a validation reconsideration process for data validation and to add an additional targeting criterion for validation. We are not proposing any changes to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
In the Hospital IQR Program, we are proposing to add three new measures, to update three existing measures, and to remove three measures. We are proposing changes to the validation process. Additionally, we are seeking public comment on the potential future adoption of two measures.
In the PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting Program (PCHQR) we are proposing to add four new measures and to modify an existing measure.
In the LTCH QRP we are proposing new measures, modifying an existing measure, removing measures and proposing to increase the LTCH QRP data completion thresholds for LTCH Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Data Set (LCDS) items. Additionally, we are we are seeking information on principles for selecting and prioritizing LTCH QRP quality measures and concepts under consideration for future years and provide an update on CMS' continued efforts to close the health equity gap.
Under various statutory authorities, we either discuss continued program implementation or propose to make changes to the Medicare IPPS, the LTCH PPS, other related payment methodologies and programs for FY 2024 and subsequent fiscal years, and other policies and provisions included in this rule. These statutory authorities include, but are not limited to, the following: . . .
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-07389 [652 pages]
