CMS has issued a proposed rule to increase Medicare payment rates to hospital outpatient departments by 2.1 percent for calendar year 2013.
That increase is based on the projected hospital market basket of 3.0 percent less statutory reductions totaling 0.9 percent, including an adjustment for economy-wide productivity.
CMS also proposed a 1.3 percent increase in payment rates for ambulatory surgery centers. That increase reflects the projected rate of inflation of 2.2 percent minus an adjustment required by law for improvements in productivity of 0.9 percent.
For the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, CMS isn't proposing new measures for CY 2013. It also isn't proposing new targeting criteria to select hospitals for validation of medical records. However, CMS is proposing:
• that criteria CMS would consider when determining whether to retire measures for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program are applicable likewise to the Hospital OQR Program;
• that measures adopted in future rulemaking are automatically adopted for all subsequent year payment determinations unless CMS proposes to remove, suspend, or replace them;
• changes to administrative forms used in the program;
• to extend the deadline for submitting a notice.
CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until September 4 and will respond to all comments in a final rule to be issued by November 1.
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That increase is based on the projected hospital market basket of 3.0 percent less statutory reductions totaling 0.9 percent, including an adjustment for economy-wide productivity.
CMS also proposed a 1.3 percent increase in payment rates for ambulatory surgery centers. That increase reflects the projected rate of inflation of 2.2 percent minus an adjustment required by law for improvements in productivity of 0.9 percent.
For the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, CMS isn't proposing new measures for CY 2013. It also isn't proposing new targeting criteria to select hospitals for validation of medical records. However, CMS is proposing:
• that criteria CMS would consider when determining whether to retire measures for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program are applicable likewise to the Hospital OQR Program;
• that measures adopted in future rulemaking are automatically adopted for all subsequent year payment determinations unless CMS proposes to remove, suspend, or replace them;
• changes to administrative forms used in the program;
• to extend the deadline for submitting a notice.
CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until September 4 and will respond to all comments in a final rule to be issued by November 1.
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