2023 Legislative Wrap-Up
Physicians Will See Medicare Payment Cuts Next Year
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2024 physician fee schedule final rule reduces Medicare payments to physicians by 1.23% compared to the prior year.
What else to know: The final 2024 physician fee schedule conversion factor is $32.74, a decrease of $1.15, or 3.4%, from 2023.
Access to Mental Health Services Could Increase for Medicare Advantage Enrollees
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes policy changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in contract year (CY) 2025.
What else to know: Comments on the proposed rule, which addresses MA policies such as prior authorization, outpatient behavioral health and supplemental benefits, are due Jan. 5.
CMS Finalizes Inadequate Outpatient Payment Update
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the calendar year (CY) 2024 outpatient prospective payment system rule.
What else to know: It includes a net market basket update of 3.1%, which is a slight increase over the proposed 2.8%.
Certain 340B Hospitals to Receive Lump-Sum Settlement
What’s happening: A final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contains a remedy for the agency’s 340B-acquired drug payment policy that was in effect from 2018 to 2022.
What else to know: Eligible hospitals will receive a lump-sum settlement for claims, including beneficiary cost sharing, as a result of CMS’ invalidated policy that reduced payments for separately payable outpatient drugs acquired under the 340B program.
CMS Finalizes Policies for 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Programs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D programs for contract year 2024. The final rule is effective June 5.