CMS Memos Clarify Policies for Providers, State Survey Agencies
What’s happening: In four new memos, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies survey policies for critical access hospitals (CAHs), long-term care facilities (LTC), and laboratories.
What else you need to know: New and revised guidance addresses time-share and leased space arrangements in CAHs, immediate jeopardy in laboratories, and LTC policies.
Members-Only Summary on CMS 2025 Home Health PPS Final Rule Now Available
What’s happening: A summary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ calendar year (CY) 2025 home health (HH) prospective payment system (PPS) final rule, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., is available solely to CHA members.
What else to know: The regulation is effective Jan. 1, 2025.
CMS Reduces Medicare Payments to Physicians in Final Rule
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its calendar year (CY) 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) final rule, in which the final CY 2025 PFS conversion factor is $32.35 — a decrease of 2.8% from CY 2024.
What else to know: CMS published a fact sheet on the CY 2025 Medicare PFS that shares the rate setting and conversion factor, and much more.
CMS Finalizes Medicare Payments for Home Health, Dialysis Services
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued final rules for the calendar year 2025 home health prospective payment system (PPS) and end-stage renal disease PPS.
What else to know: CMS estimates a 0.5% increase in payments for home health agencies and dialysis providers treating end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients will see an increase of 2.7%.
CHA Comments on CY 2025 Home Health Payment Rule
What’s happening: CHA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the calendar year 2025 home health prospective payment system proposed rule.
What else to know: CHA thanks members for their feedback, which helped to inform comments.
CHA Issues Summary of FFY 2025 LTCH PPS Final Rule
What’s happening: CHA has issued a summary of the finalized payment updates and policies for long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025.
What else to know: The policy and payment provisions are generally effective for FFY 2025 discharges, beginning Oct. 1.
Summaries Available: FFY 2025 Post-Acute Care Payment Final Rules
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final payment rules for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs), and hospices for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025. CHA has issued members-only summaries of each rule.
What else to know: In general, the payment updates were slightly higher than proposed, but still inadequate relative to input price inflation.
CMS Proposes Inadequate Home Health Payment Update
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a proposed calendar year (CY) 2025 home health prospective payment system.
What else to know: CMS estimates payments to home health agencies, as a result of the changes in the proposed rule, will decrease by $280 million (1.7%). Other key provisions of the proposed rule include: