Tag: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)
In brief: MedPAC details spending, FTC slaps Surescripts
August 2, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has released its 2023 data book on health care spending and the Medicare program.
The 200-page report provides Medicare data on spending, demographics, beneficiary access to care, and quality of care, among other information.
Among MedPAC’s findings:
Medicare was the largest single purchaser of personal health care in the U.S., gobbling up 24% of total spend;
Medicare spending...
MedPAC makes payment recommendations
March 20, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – MedPAC recommends a higher-than-current law fee-for-service payment update in 2024 for acute care hospitals, as part of its March 2023 “Report to Congress: Medicare Payment Policy.” It also recommends positive updates for clinicians paid under the physician fee schedule and outpatient dialysis facilities; and negative updates for skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Additionally, it recommends a positive payment update...
MedPAC provides data on dual-eligibles
February 6, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) have released an updated data book, “Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid,” that presents information on the demographic and other personal characteristics, expenditures and health care utilization of individuals who were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid coverage in 2020. “We hope these data will provide a comprehensive picture of program...
MedPAC, MACPAC update data book
February 3, 2022HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – MedPAC and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) have released the newly updated data book, Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. This version of the book is the first to use data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, which captures more recent data and information than previously available. The book compares subgroups of dually eligible beneficiaries, including those with full versus partial benefits and those...
In brief: MedPAC finds no change in health outcomes, CMS suspends CERT reviews
April 17, 2020HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Medicare spending for diabetes testing supplies decreased by 88% between 2010-2017, according to a new report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, but health outcomes have remained stable.
Since the national mail-order program was implemented in 2013, the use of diabetes testing supplies is down overall, but retail sales of supplies is up, says the report, “Examining Impacts of the National Mail-Order Program on Medicare Service Utilization and Beneficiary Health Outcomes.”
MedPAC...
In brief: Stakeholders now await final rule on bidding, MedPAC comments on proposed changes
September 14, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON �- A CMS proposed rule that, among other things, outlined changes to the competitive bidding program drew 514 comments by a Sept. 10 deadline.“This is an incredible leap from last week, when we reported 216 submissions,” VGM stated in a bulletin. “These comments are crucial to demonstrating the need for additional relief for the non-rural areas among the other areas where CMS fell short in their proposals.”The comments, which are public, can be read here.In...
MedPAC report takes CMS to task on orthotics
June 29, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Although industry stakeholders disagree with a recent MedPAC recommendation to include off-the-shelf orthotics in Medicare's competitive bidding program, a recent report by the commission is, overall, on point, they say.
“It's obvious the bid program is still a threat,” Todd Eagen, president of the Orthotic Prosthetic Group of America. “But there is some good news in the report and some continued educational efforts that our community needs to continue to...
In brief: MedPAC makes case for ramping up bid program, several DME product categories dropped from Trump tariffs
June 22, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - MedPAC's June 2018 report to Congress recommends that CMS include more DMEPOS products in the competitive bidding program as a way to improve Medicare's payment policies and reduce fraud and abuse.
“The CBP has successfully driven down the cost of DMEPOS products for the Medicare program and beneficiaries,” the report states. “Compared with payment rates in the year before the CBP, Medicare's payment rates for some of the highest expenditure products...
AAH updates: Bidding, MedPAC, Medicaid
June 21, 2018HME News Staff
AAHomecare submitted two letters to Health and Human Services and CMS officials this week. The first letter detailed long-term reforms for the competitive bidding program and highlighted seven priority recommendations that the association would like to see incorporated into the next round of the program. The second letter was a response to the President's Budget for FY2019 and identified seven proposals that would impact the HME industry, the most concerning of which being expanding the bid process...
MedPAC makes case for ramping up bid program
June 18, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WASHINGTON - MedPAC's June 2018 report to Congress recommends that CMS include more DMEPOS products in the competitive bidding program as a way to improve Medicare's payment policies and reduce fraud and abuse.“The CBP has successfully driven down the cost of DMEPOS products for the Medicare program and beneficiaries,” the report states. “Compared with payment rates in the year before the CBP, Medicare's payment rates for some of the highest expenditure products have fallen by an...