The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a rule that could alter Medicare payments for inpatient hospitals and long-term care hospitals. The initiative aims to enhance health improvements, thereby potentially deterring individuals from seeking medical services by improving post-surgery health outcomes and promoting climate resilience.
"Hospitals should be a place you go into and get the care you need, regardless of whether you’re struggling to afford your rent, the color of your skin, or what else is going on in the world around you," stated U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. "The Biden-Harris Administration is doing everything in its power to ensure hospitals have the prescription drugs and supplies they need so providers can focus on what they do best – helping our loved ones be healthy."
According to an HHS news release, the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) rule aligns with the White House's ambition to enhance health options for underserved communities. The proposed increase in operating payment rates for hospitals includes those that receive CMS payments under the IPPS, participate successfully in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program, and are considered meaningful users of electronic health records.
"CMS is proposing changes that will create a more equitable and resilient health care system," said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. "Our proposals around payment and quality focus on rewarding better outcomes and supporting hospitals in their efforts to reach underserved communities and meet their needs. We are also seeking public comment on additional efforts to drive improvements in access to quality care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum."
In addition to these changes, another aspect of the rule focuses on enhancing emergency preparedness for a range of respiratory infections. This would enable hospitals to report more data during national emergencies such as COVID-19, according to the news release. "Hospitals play such a central role in the diverse communities they serve," said Meena Seshamani, administrator and director of the Center for Medicare. "Our proposed payments to hospitals further recognize the cost of unmet social needs, advance access to innovative and essential treatments, expand the behavioral health workforce, and ultimately help provide hospitals the vital tools they need to better serve all communities."
