The CMS proposed payment increase of 3.2 percent, or $1.6 billion, for fiscal year 2023, is inadequate due to inflation and labor and supply costs, Stacey Hughes, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, said April 18.
Hospitals would actually see a net decrease in payments from this year to next year because of proposed cuts to Disproportionate Share Hospital payments and other payment cuts, Ms. Hughes said.
"This is simply unacceptable for hospitals and health systems and their caregivers that have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic for over two years now," she stated in an April 18 news release. "While we have made great progress in the fight against this virus, our members continue to face a range of challenges that threaten their ability to continue caring for patients and providing essential services for their communities."
The association is happy with the proposed 5 percent cap on a decrease to a hospital's wage index, but Ms. Hughes asked that this be used in a "non-budget neutral" way.
CMS released the Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule April 18 and is now accepting comments on it through June 17.
Read the full American Hospital Association statement here.