CMS released three proposed rules on April 10, which include Medicare payment updates for psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing facilitates and hospices.
Five takeaways from the proposed rules:
1. Inpatient psychiatric facility payment update. CMS proposed increasing the IPF payment rates by 2.4 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. The agency estimates total payments to IPFs will be about $100 million higher in 2021 than this year.
2. Skilled nursing facility payment update. CMS proposed increasing the SNF payment rates by 2.3 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. The agency estimates total payments to SNFs will be about $784 million higher in 2021 than this year.
3. Hospice payment update. CMS proposed increasing the hospice payment rates by 2.6 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. The agency estimates total payments to hospices would be roughly $580 million higher in 2021 than this year.
4. Wage index. CMS wants to adopt revised geographic delineations to calculate wage index values for inpatient psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing facilities and hospices. The agency also proposed a transition period for the wage index changes and a 5 percent cap on wage index decreases for 2021.
5. Comment period. CMS will accept comments on the proposed rules until June 9.